Jewish Eye Film Festival opens in Ashkelon
Eighth annual estival hopes to attract youth in hopes of making them more aware of Jewish arts and culture
The event, which runs until November 21, features 85 films from 25 countries, including Canada, the United States, various European countries, and of course Israel. Each screened film touches upon a Jewish theme or experience.
A highlight of the festival is Jewish-American director Eve Annenberg’s “Romeo and Juliet in Yiddish,” which made its rounds to other international film festivals earlier this year.
The film superimposes Shakespeare’s love story onto the backdrop of Jewish-inhabited Brooklyn, substituting a Chabad-Satmer feud for the classic Montague-Capulet rivalry (picture a knife brawl between ultra-Orthodox boys and a smattering of Kabbalah references).
Festival executive director Oded Guy called it “funny,” saying the film’s already received positive reviews worldwide.
Guy hopes to expose such youth to Jewish films that espouse moral or educational messages while still maintaining viewers’ cinematic interests.
Prizes will be awarded in the categories of best cinema feature, best full-length documentary and best TV film at the festival’s closing ceremony. The judging panel consists of film professionals Marie-Catherine Merchetti, Ruth Diskin and Beni Cohen.
Reprinted with permission from Shalom Life
