M a r c h 2 6 A p r i l 82 0 0 8

W I N N I P E G I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Jewish Film Festival

Saturday April 5 9:30 p.m.

Aviva My Love Aviva Ahuvati Israel, 2006Hebrew, English subtitles107 minutes Director: Shemi Zarhin

All Aviva wants is to write, and indeed every detailin her mundane life sparks an imaginative tale.But Aviva lives in a working class town in the

North of Israel, with an unemployed husband and ademanding family. Aviva keeps her creative passionalive, with endless talent and grace, juggling the potsand pans of her day job as a cook and the evergrowing needs of her big family. From the director offestival favourite Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi comes adelightful, richly layered story about a woman on thebrink of fulfilling her lifelong dream to become apublished author, when she finds that her novelistmentor has other plans for her work. This engagingdrama is a beautifully shot story of a woman whoseeks to express herself as a writer who overcomesmany obstacles.

Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Jerusalem Film Festival, 2007Best Screenplay, Shanghai International Film Festival, 2007Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay Best Actress, Best

Supporting Actress, Best Editing Awards of the Israeli FilmAcademy, 2006

Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best EditingNominations, Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, 2006

Sunday, April 6 7:30 p.m.

The Rape of Europa USA, 2006English, Russian, Polish, GermanFrench, Italian, English Subtitles 117 minutes Directors: Richard Berge & Bonni Cohen

The documentary The Rape of Europa tells theepic story of the systematic theft, deliberatedestruction and miraculous survival of Europe’s

art treasures during the Third Reich and theSecond World War. In a journey through sevencountries, the film takes the audience into theviolent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfarethat threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage ofEurope. For 12 long years, the Nazis looted anddestroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history.But young art professionals as well as ordinaryheroes, from truck drivers to department storeclerks, fought back with an extraordinary effort tosafeguard, rescue and return the millions of lost,hidden and stolen treasures.Best Documentary Feature-Audience Choice Award,

RiverRun International Film Festival, 2007Documentary Screenplay Award Nomination,

Writers Guild of America, 2008

Sunday, April 6 2:00 p.m.

Little Heroes Giborim K’tanim Israel, 2006Hebrew, Russian, English Subtitles 76 minutes Director: Itai Lev

Aboy who is trying to cope with his father's death,a Russian girl with telepathic abilities, hermentally-challenged brother and a boy, who is an

outsider in the close-knit society of a kibbutz, embarkon a courageous expedition to rescue the lives of twoinjured teenagers in the Negev. During the adventurethe four social outsiders bond together, bridge thegaps among them and learn to face their fears.Gradually and unexpectedly, they form a heroic team:a warrior, a magician, a good-hearted giant and athief. But will they do so in time to save the injuredpeople? This is one of the first films for children madein Israel, and it provides a glimpse of the Israeli realitywhile emphasizing the common denominators ofpeople worldwide. It also shows that children can beheroes and can actually make a difference.

Golden Slipper Award for Best Children’s Film, Zlin InternationalFestival for Children and Youth, Czech Republic, 2007

Best Film Award, Children Film Festival, USA, 2007Jury Award for Best Film, Festival Internacional de Cine Nueva

Mirada para la Infancia y la Juventud, Buenos Aires,Argentina, 2007

Monday, April 7 7:30 p.m.

Praying with Lior USA, 2007Director: Ilana Tracthman 87 minutes A

n engrossing, wrenching and tender documentaryfilm, Praying with Lior introduces Lior Liebling, alsocalled "the little rebbe." Lior has Down syndrome,

and has spent his entire life praying with utterabandon. Is he a "spiritual genius" as many aroundhim say? Or simply the vessel that contains everyone’sunfulfilled wishes and expectations? Lior – whosename means "my light" in Hebrew — lost his motherat age six, and her words and spirit hover over the film.While everyone agrees Lior is closer to G-d, he’s also aburden, a best friend, an inspiration, and anembarrassment, depending on which family member isspeaking. As Lior approaches Bar Mitzvah, the Jewishcoming-of-age ceremony, different characters providea window into life spent "praying with Lior." The movieposes difficult questions such as what is "disability"and who really talks to G-d? Told with intimacy andhumour, Praying with Lior is a family story, a triumphstory, a grief story, a divinely-inspired story.

Winner, Audience Award, Best Documentary, WashingtonJewish Film Festival and Boston Jewish Film Festival, 2007

Winner, Audience Award, Best Documentary, San DiegoJewish Film Festival Award, 2008

Tuesday, April 8 7:30 p.m.

Beaufort Israel, 2007Hebrew, English subtitles Director: Joseph Cedar125 minutes

The first Israeli film to explore the painful subject ofIsrael's 18-year presence in Southern Lebanon,Beaufort dramatically depicts the complex moral

and tactical dilemmas facing the young commander ofBeaufort Castle, a Crusader-era fortress, during theIsraeli army's unilateral withdrawal from SouthernLebanon in 2000. In the days leading up to Israel'swithdrawal, the soldiers stationed at the mountaintopoutpost of Beaufort live under a barrage of constantattacks. Frustrated by the knowledge that they arerisking--and often losing--their lives in defense of afortress that will soon be abandoned, the men struggleto do their duty while grieving for their dead comradesand preparing for the evacuation. A moving picture ofa troop struggling for survival during the first war inLebanon in 2000.

Best Foreign Language Film Nomination, Academy Awards, 2008Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Direction,

Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, 2007Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, Nominations,

Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, 2007Silver Berlin Bear, Best Director Award, Berlin International Film

Festival, 2007

Rady Jewish Community Centre Berney Theatre A s p e r J e w i s h C o m m u n i t y C a m p u s1 2 3 D o n c a s t e r S t r e e t 4 7 7 - 7 5 1 0w w w. r a d y j c c . c o m – C l i c k o n T i c k e t C e n t r a l

Rush Seating. No refunds or exchanges on tickets, packages or passes. Films subject to classification

RADY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE123 Doncaster Street 477-7510

www.radyjcc.com – Click on Ticket Central

Berney TheatreAsper Jewish Community Campus

123 Doncaster Street

The Asper Foundation Performances

T I C K E T S :

Prices include GST

Six Pack:Choose six different films

$42M / $48NM

Ten Pack:Choose ten different films

$70M / $80NM

Individual Ticket:

$8M / $9NM

The Asper Foundation Performances

Wednesday, March 26 7:30 p.m.

Sweet Mud Adama Meshuga'at Israel, 2006Hebrew, French, English subtitles97 minutesDirector: Dror Shaul

In this dark yet comedic coming-of-age drama,a boy enters his Bar Mitzvah (Jewish coming-of-age ceremony) year on a southern Israel

kibbutz in the 1970s. Trying to reconcile thecommunity’s motto of equality with the realitythat his mentally ill mother has been abandoned,he comes to learn that not every person fits intoUtopia. One of the most accomplished andcelebrated international dramas of the year,Sweet Mud peels back the romantic mythologysurrounding communal life on an Israeli kibbutzto tell a more personal, poignant story ofthwarted love, adolescent awakening andhuman longings and failings. It is a deeply feltand beautifully photographed drama, worthy ofall the acclaim it has received, both within Israeland abroad.

Grand Jury Prize Winner, Sundance Film Festival, 2007Glass Bear Award Winner, Berlin Film Festival, 2007 Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Awards of the Israeli

Film Academy, 2006Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Director,

Best Editing Nominations, Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, 2006

Sunday, March 30 2:00 p.m.

So Long Are You Young:Samuel Ullman's Poem and Passion

USA, 2006English60 minutesDirector Judith Schaefer

The documentary So Long Are You Young charts theremarkable journey of a poem written in 1917 bySamuel Ullman, a humble German-Jewish immigrant

who lived in Birmingham, Alabama. While unsuccessfulin business, Ullman was active in community service,founding a reform synagogue, serving as a city aldermanand helping establish Birmingham’s first all-black publichigh school. Twenty years after his death, his poem,Youth, was discovered by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, andits message of hope spread across a demoralized post-war Japan. Ullman’s words went on to influencepoliticians and prominent businessmen the world over,including former South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung,Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita and BobbyKennedy. Layered with interviews, historical footage andphotographs, and a fascinating timeline of Ullman’s life,So Long Are You Young is an expressive and heartfeltcelebration of a little-known literary sensation.

Saturday, March 29 9:30 p.m.

Noodle Israel, 2007 Hebrew, Mandarin, English subtitles100 minutesDirector: Ayelet Mehaemi

Noodle is a touching comic-drama spunaround an El Al flight attendant's (Mili Avital) life-affirming adventure and

the captivating plight of an abandoned Chineseboy. It's also the story of relationships betweensisters, wives and husbands and friends andstrangers. This film is a moving story in whichtwo human beings - as different from eachother as Tel Aviv is from Beijing - accompanyeach other on a remarkable journey, one thattakes them both back to a meaningful life.

Best Supporting Actress Award, Awards of the Israeli FilmAcademy, 2007

Best Film, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, BestCinematography, Best Director, Best Editing Nominations,Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, 2007

Special Grand Prix of the Jury, Montreal World Film Festival, 2007

Wednesday, April 2 7:30 p.m.

My Opposition – The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner

Canada, 2007English 65 minutesDirectors: Fern Levitt & Arnie Zipursky

The documentary My Opposition - The Diaries of FriedrichKellner tells the story of two courageous and determinedmen. The first, Friedrich Kellner, a political activist who did

all he could to stop the Nazis from obtaining power. Thesecond, his grandson, Robert Scott Kellner who to this dayuses his grandfather's diaries to alert people to the dangers oftotalitarian ideologies. As a justice inspector during the ThirdReich Friedrich Kellner did the only thing he could do, continueto refuse to join the Nazi Party, even at personal risk tohimself, and to his wife, while secretly recording the horrificatrocities of the Nazi regime. Interwoven with FriedrichKellner's story are two others: that of his errant son, Fred, whobecomes caught up in Nazi ideology; and the dramatic story ofRobert Scott, Kellner's grandson, who is abandoned as a child,joins the U.S. Navy at the age of seventeen, and goes toGermany in search of his family eventually devoting himself tobringing the diary to the attention of the public and to using itsmessage to counter neo-Nazism and anti-Semitism.

Thursday, March 27 7:30 p.m.

Orthodox Stance United States, 2007English, Russian, English subtitles82 minutesDirector: Jason Hutt

For the last 60 years, the term "Jewish boxer" hasbeen an oxymoron. But Dmitriy Salita, a 24 year-oldRussian immigrant is making history as a top

professional boxer and a rigorously observant Jew.While providing an intimate, three-year period look atthe trials and tribulations faced by an up and comingprofessional boxer, the documentaryOrthodox Stance isa portrait of seemingly incompatible cultures andcharacters working together to support Dmitriy's rareand remarkable devotion to both Orthodox Judaism andthe pursuit of a professional boxing title. In the end, thisinspiring documentary is about more than just boxingand religion, but about a young man's search formeaning in life. While his two greatest passions mayinitially seem completely incompatible, Dmitriy provesthat love and dedication for two opposing passions canbring peace and contentment, despite great contrast.

Official Selection, Silverdocs Film Festival, Sarasota FilmFestival and San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, 2007

Monday, March 31 7:30 p.m.

Nina’s Journey Ninas Resa Sweden, Poland, 2005German, Polish, Swedish, Yiddish, English subtitles120 minutes Director: Lena Einhorn

Nina's Journey is a powerful drama about a youngJewish woman's remarkable odyssey fromsurvival in World War II Poland to a new life in

Sweden. Based on the true story of writer-directorLena Einhorn's mother, Nina Rajmic, the film beginswith Nina's family's incarceration in the Warsawghetto and its uprising. Nina luckily escaped to theAryan side, but her parents remained behind. Shelived among the non-Jews until war's end, when itbecame clear that only she and her brother hadsurvived. The archival footage, from newsreels to stillphotographs, provides historical background anddepth to Nina’s story. Starring some of Poland’s topactors, Nina’s Journey breaks with most of theconventional styles of cinematic storytelling. This is afeature film with a real storyteller.

Creative Excellence Award - U.S. International Film andVideo Festival, 2007

Tuesday, April 1 7:30 p.m.

My Mexican Shivah Morirse está en HebreoMexico, USA, 2007Hebrew, Spanish, Yiddish, English subtitles102 minutes Director: Alejandro Springall Producer: John Sayles

In Polanco, the Jewish quarter of Mexico City, MoisheTartakovsky, a much loved patriarch, collapses anddies while dancing at a Jewish theatre group

celebration. There is an immediate gathering for thefuneral in Mexico City. After the burial, an eclecticgroup of family, friends, and even a Catholic ex-lover,gather for the shivah (the seven day Jewish mourningritual). They are wryly observed by a couple of Yiddishspeaking ‘spirits’ who accompanied Moishe in hislifetime and are about to lead his soul on to the nextworld. Over the course of the next seven days of theshivah, secrets are disclosed; his embittered daughteracts out her grievances and his friends parade theirquarrels for all to hear. If you can conceive of a shivahbeing a setting for humour then this charming andinsightful comedy is not to be missed, with a wonderfulmusic score performed by The Klezmatics.Brief Nudity

Thursday, April 3 7:30 p.m.

The First Time I Was 20

La Premiere Fois Que Ja’i Eu 20 AnsFrance, 2004French, English subtitles97 minutes Director: Lorraine Levy

It’s the swinging sixties in the suburbs of Paris.Hannah, a zaftig 16 year-old played by thecharming Marilou Berry auditions for her

school’s all-male jazz band. Though the odds areagainst her, she uses her brains, talent, andperseverance to overcome sexism and anti-Semitism. Lorraine Levy’s impressive debutfeature celebrates misfits, underdogs andoutsiders everywhere.Brief Nudity

AGIS Gold Medal – Giffoni International Film Festival, 2005

Best Film, Best Screenplay, Gulbagge – Sweden Film Awards, 2006