2024 Summer Jewish Film Festival
Eye-opening, entertaining films, guided discussion, & free refreshments
Friends,
The big news this summer is the return, in-person, of our Jewish Film Festival. During the pandemic, we offered our members free virtual screenings. But it’s been a long time since we last gathered for weekly doses of stimulating entertainment and discussion. FJC is delighted to welcome both members and the public to enjoy five Tuesday evenings of films, discussion and our famous, free refreshments. Spread the word to friends and neighbors. These are terrific films for everyone.
Films truly open windows onto the world, providing entry into stories and perspective that can literally change the way we view society, history and ourselves. Our films engage us in reflections on the diversity of Jewish identity and experience and how they shape our lives. Falmouth’s Summer Jewish Film Festival proudly continues this tradition of screening feature and documentary films from North America and around the world. Take a look at the lineup below, and you’re sure to find that this year’s mix will provide much to discuss and reflect on in post-screening conversation.
See you at the movies!
Pamela
Film Schedule
Screenings at Falmouth Jewish Congregation, Blanche & Joel D. Seifer Community Center, 7 Hatchville Rd. East Falmouth, MA
Tuesdays at 7:30 P.M.
(doors open at 7:00 P.M.)
| July 9 | The Catskills | U.S. Documentary |
| July 16 | Seven Blessings | Award-winning Israeli Drama |
| July 23 | Less than Kosher | Canadian Musical Comedy |
| July 30 | Without Precedent | Canadian Documentary |
| August 6 | Victory | Israeli Musical Drama |
Tickets and Reel Passes can only be purchased in advance.
There are no
at-the-door sales.
REEL Pass for Five Films:
$60 members / $75 non-members
Order a discounted REEL Pass in advance to save time and money!
REEL Passes are non-transferable.
Individual tickets:
$13 members / $16 non-members
Purchase in advance online (no sales at the door)
Purchase individual tickets by clicking on the film you wish to attend.
Welcoming and accessible to all.
Want to have extra fun? Volunteer at the Festival. Contact Roberta Okrasinski, volunteer coordinator.
MAKE A DONATION
Falmouth Jewish Film Festival
FILM DESCRIPTIONS
The Catskills (Documentary, USA, 2023)
Director: Lex Gillespie
Prepare for an entertaining trip backwards in time!
The Catskills is a feature-length documentary film on the rise and fall of the Borscht Belt. With a trove of lost-and-found archival footage and a cast of characters endowed with the gift of gab, The Catskills journeys into the storied mountain getaway north of New York City that served as refuge for Jewish immigrants fleeing poverty as well as a lavish playground for affluent Jewish families.
Stand-up comedians share their best shtick while former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors recount tales of the family-run resorts and bungalows that inspired films like "Dirty Dancing."
The Catskills is a humorous and nostalgic tribute to what became affectionately known as the Borscht Belt. Through the lens of stand-up comedians delivering their finest routines and the reminiscences of former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors, the film captures the essence of the family-run resorts and bungalows that served as the inspiration for iconic films like Dirty Dancing. By piecing together personal anecdotes, home videos, promotional images, postcards, and menus, this cinematic time capsule offers a comprehensive overview of Jewish immigration to New York.
In this fascinating and joy-filled film, director Lex Gillespie maps the development of the vacation destination, from a refuge for working-class Jews seeking a respite from poverty in overcrowded New York City tenements to a lavish summer playground for the affluent. Within these myriad resorts, a diverse array of guests, including Holocaust survivors and notable figures from the entertainment industry, found refuge. Esteemed personalities like Jennie Grossinger from the renowned Grossinger’s Hotel hosted politicians and athletes, while nightclubs became platforms for emerging musical and comedic talent, even offering support to artists facing blacklisting during the McCarthy era. Perhaps most importantly, “the Sour Cream Sierras” became a place of resistance against antisemitic exclusion and a flourishing haven for Yiddishkeit.
This delightful film chronicles the sweeping rise, zenith, and eventual decline of "the Jewish Alps," a journey illuminated with both authenticity and sentiment. From lox to herring, this celebration of Jewish-American life is all you can eat!
Seven Blessings (Drama | Israel, 2023 | 111 min)
Director: Ayelet Menahemi. In Hebrew, French and Moroccan with English subtitles
Winner of ten Israeli Academy Awards (Ophir Awards), including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script, and Best Actress
Israel’s submission to the Oscars for Best International Film
Don’t miss this Israeli drama, a mega hit in Israel and at Jewish film festivals worldwide. It’s culturally specific and richly universal in the best possible way, with immense talent and heart tapped to tell a deeply moving story.
In early 1990s Jerusalem, a boisterous Moroccan-Jewish-Israeli clan reunites for a cross-cultural wedding, celebrating the Moroccan-Jewish bride and French-Ashkenazi groom over the course of seven nights of dinners and ceremonies each hosted by a different family member in honor of the newlyweds. The week-long ritual of sheva brachot (seven blessings) occasions joy, laughter, dancing, and oh so much delicious food. But behind the joie de vivre and togetherness, are family secrets and lies. With humor, pathos, and confidence, Seven Blessings puts Mizrahi mothers, daughters, and sisters at the beating heart of this rich enveloping story.
Directed by Ayelet Menahemi (Noodle), Seven Blessings was written by Reymonde Amsallem and Eleanor Sela, who co-star as sisters in the film. Cousins in real life, Sela and Amsallem were inspired by their own family as well as interviews with Moroccan Jewish women. One of the best Israeli films in years, Seven Blessings became a cultural watershed upon its theatrical release this winter.
Less Than Kosher (Musical Comedy | Canada, 2023 | 65 min.)
Director: Daniel Am Rosenberg In English and Hebrew3
Winner of the Best Film at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2023
Described as a “Jewish Electro-Pop Musical,” Less Than Kosher is unlike any Jewish film you’ve seen… that is, unless you have seen The Jazz Singer!
Miami Film Festival puts it so well, I’ll let you hear what they report: “A favorite in the festival because it brings redemption like a dessert of the sweetest kind after a wonderfully tasty meal. An unexpected wild ride with a crazy story and amazing music.”
Bringing together the comedic essence of Shiva Baby and the musical charm of The Jazz Singer, this delightful tale dives into the tapestry of modern Jewish existence and sheds light on realities that might be considered "less than kosher." At 20, Viv was a burgeoning young singer. By 30, her once-promising music career had regrettably led her back to her mother's basement. However, destiny takes an unexpected turn when this self-proclaimed "bad Jew" finds herself reluctantly accepting a position as a Cantor at her family's synagogue. That leads her through a roundelay of weddings, brisses, and shivas — complete with fantasy production numbers — as she recovers her joy in singing. Along the way, she also finds herself entangled in a whirlwind of forbidden affairs, psychedelic experiences, tense familial conflicts, and self-discovery.
Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella (Documentary | Canada, 2023 | 80 min.)
Director: Barry Avrich
Has the U.S. Supreme Court been on your mind? Are you in need of uplift and inspiration?! This film is for you – for everyone: it’s a true winner. Without Precedent is the story of an exceptional woman who spent her entire life reminding us that we must never forget how the world looks to those who are vulnerable.
Born to Holocaust survivors, Abella studied law. At 29 years old, was appointed a judge, becoming both the youngest and the first pregnant judge in Canadian history. In 2004 she was appointed a Supreme Court Justice becoming the first Jewish woman and the first refugee to sit on the bench — and she’s probably the first Canadian justice that became a human rights phenomenon. Abella was at the forefront of major decisions on employment equity, gay marriage, constitutional law, and many more landmark cases.
Meet a fireball of a person who is curious, accessible and still ambitious at the age of 75 as she begins the next act of her life. Comparisons with RBG are sure to come to mind, but Avrich’s winning documentary will help you to distinguish between these two extraordinary justices, similar in their enormous judicial significance but different in their distinct personalities.
Victory (Musical Drama | Israel and Ukraine, 2023 | 119 min.)
Director: Eliran Peled
In Hebrew with subtitles
Great music, saturated color, spark and seriousness: this film has it all!
Eliran Peled’s captivating Israeli musical is set during the euphoria following the Six-Day War and tackles serious issues of war’s lasting impacts. The story engages from the get-go.
In the glow of Israel’s 1967 victory, “A Star is Born” meets the Israeli reality in this captivating musical. It follows two couples from Kibbutz Netzer Sirani, whose lives take dramatic turns post-war. At the heart is Neta Agmon, whose acting career takes off just as her husband comes back from the war, forever changed. While Neta’s star rises, she faces a personal battle at home, trying to reconnect with the man she once knew, while he suffers in silence, his untreated war trauma straining their relationship. Amidst a nation celebrating, they navigate the unseen aftermath of war and the challenge of keeping love alive. This story blends personal struggle with the vibrancy of a musical, offering a fresh and engaging take on the impact of war, the price of fame, and the power of love.
Boasting award-winning melodies, beautifully sung and staged with top-notch art direction and choreography, Peled’s distinctive song-and-dance production with a potent anti-war message delivers an unexpected emotional punch.
This is a film that you will both enjoy and absorb deeply, its messages and questions lingering. My best comparison is to one of my favorite musical genres: downbeat country tunes set to upbeat music. It’s a winning combination for lasting impact that touches the heart.