Jewish film blog

Films in Sheffield

Sheffield is probably best known throughout the world as the home setting for the hit movie The Full Monty, but for those who are fans of documentary films, it is also home to the annual Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

The 12th event will takes place from October 10 to October 16 and features a number of Jewish and Israeli themes.

Getting its world premiere is the rather bizarre Philip and His Seven Wives. The story of a messianic "rabbi" who thinks he is a Hebrew King living in Brighton.

Avenge But One of My Two Eyes gets its UK debut. The film looks at Israel and the Palestinian territories and explores the founding of the state of Israel.

Seeds shows how 10 teenagers from Israel, Palestine, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan come together for three weeks at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine.

Tell Them Who You Are takes a look at Jewish cinematographer Haskell Wexler who won Oscars for such films as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Bound For Glory. The film is made by his photojournalist son Mark.

For more information, visit: www.sheffield2005.com

Jews of Mexico on film

This sounds very interesting:

"In the early twentieth century, thousands of European Jews sailed to Mexico seeking opportunity and escaping persecution at home."

"The documentary Tijuana Jews tells the story of this unique community which blended Jewish and Mexican cultures and customs in an unlikely place and time."

Find out more about Tijuana Jews here.

Everything Is Illuminated

This in from Caroline Westbrook

The trailer for the film version of Jonathan Safran Foer's cult novel Everything Is Illuminated has just been released, and is well worth a look.

Directed by Jewish actor Liev Schrieber (who was last seen in The Manchurian Candidate), the film stars Elijah Wood as the author, who heads for a remote part of Ukraine to trace the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis several decades ago. His guides on the trip are a young Ukranian named Alex with a decidedly dodgy grasp of English, and his grandfather, whose grumpiness is concealing a dark secret from his past.

At first glance it looks as though this ought to be a difficult book to put on film. The action spans several centuries, the plot frequently borders on the surreal, and much of it is narrated by Alex in broken English. However, if the trailer is anything to go by it looks like Schreiber and co have done a good job. Wood, almost unrecognisable in big glasses and dark suit, is appealing as Foer, while other moments in the trailer suggest that the blend of comedy and emotional drama will work very well indeed.

The film's due out in December – and if it lives up to the promise of the trailer could be one of the best Jewish movies we've seen in ages.

Click here for the trailer