5–19 NOVEMBER 2020 Sponsors President’s Circle Alan Howard Nathan Kirsh Foundation Louise and Hilton Nathanson Dear Festival goers, Bianca and Stuart Roden Welcome Isabelle and Ivor Seddon Letter A closed box office and a silent auditorium is Patrons a sorry sight for any passionate cinephile, but Carolyn and Harry Black for an organisation championing independent Muriel and Gus Coren Charitable Foundation films it is especially painful. That’s why our Andrew Stone The Diana and Allan Morgenthau team has been working incredibly hard over Charitable Trust the last months to keep bringing you so many outstanding films through our On Demand Screening Partners service. And why we are equally determined to make this year’s UK Jewish Film Festival one Michael Etherton that brings people together through our first Education partners Chief Executive ever fully online festival. Alan Howard To help you access as many films as possible Sybil Shine Memorial Trust over the festival’s two weeks, we will be offering Shoresh Charitable Trust Festival Passes at very reasonable prices, The John S Cohen Foundation and more Q&As and panel discussions than The Kobler Trust ever before. You will also be able to share your The Maurice Hatter Foundation experience through our social media platforms Film Sponsors from the comfort of your own armchairs. Although the size of the festival is somewhat reduced this year, the quality of films is stronger than ever. All our films will be introduced and the festival will be punctuated, as ever, by our three Andor Charitable Trust Friends of UK Jewish Film Anne Joseph and James Libson landmark gala premieres. Anonymous Jeffrey Gruder QC and Manchester Jewish Philanthropic Edward Azouz Gillian Gruder Fiona and Peter Needleman Thank you for your continued support during The Benson Black Hirschel Foundation Erica and Stuart Peters Memorial Charitable Trust Stella and Zamir Joory S&R Charitable Trust these challenging times, and we are looking Neil and Debra Blair Jane and James Kessler Susan and John Reizenstein forward to seeing you, virtually, at what David and Nili Chinn Caroline and Michael Kuhn Sandra and Geoffrey Lord and Lady Collins Joyce and David Kustow Searchlight promises to be another entertaining festival. of Mapesbury Sabrina and Eric Lemer Liz and Philip Shapiro Ruth and Martin Dunitz Sallyrose and Jonathan Lewis Alan Spier and Judith Gordon Family Hamburger Karen and Lawrence Lever Rosalyn and Nicholas Springer UK Jewish Film is a registered charity No.1072914. The selection of films and events for the UK Jewish Film Festival does not reflect in any way the views or preferences of the sponsors who support the festival. 2 Welcome Letter ukjewishfilm.org 3 The Online With the UK Jewish Film Festival being streamed entirely online this year, we are Festival doing things a little differently. Programme Explore the full programme and book your and Booking tickets at ukjewishfilm.org. Find full details including film times, expanded synopses, trailers and up-to-date event listings such as live streamed Q+As, panel discussions and special events, as well as how to book. Festival Screenings Festival screenings will take place on our secure streaming platform: watch.ukjff.com. We’re Opening Night Gala also partnering with Curzon Home Cinema to bring you a specially curated film selection. Films will premiere at specific dates and times When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit across the Festival and remain available to + Interviews with Caroline Link and Matthew Kneale watch for a set period. Tickets are limited for each film so we encourage advance booking Dir. Caroline Link | Germany, 2019 | 114 mins to avoid disappointment. Anna’s carefree childhood is disrupted when her parents decide to For technical advice about streaming the flee Germany shortly before Hitler attains power. In their search for Festival, please see page 39. safety, the family moves first to Switzerland, then France and finally, England–each move presents great challenges, but even greater Tickets and Passes Enjoy the Festival with a range of tickets rewards. Though she still harbours hopes of returning to Berlin, Anna and passes: gradually learns that home is wherever she is free to love, imagine and Festival Pass: £35.00 dream. Based on Judith Kerr’s beloved semi-autobiographical book, TV Series: £15.00 each When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit superbly captures both the growing Nazi threat and the magic of childhood. An incredibly touching and uplifting Single Gala films: £15.00 tribute to Kerr, who passed away last May, and her timeless stories. Single films: £7.99 Short Film Programmes: £0.99 each Sponsored by: UK PREMIERE Members discount: 20% German, French, English with English subtitles 4 The Online Festival ukjewishfilm.org 5 Centrepiece Gala Closing Night Gala The End of Love Honeymood + Q&A with Keren Ben Rafael and Judith Chemla + Interview with Talya Lavie Dir. Keren Ben Rafael | France, Israel, 2019 | 90 mins Dir. Talya Lavie | Israel, 2020 | 89 mins Having fallen in love with Julie, Yuval moves from Israel to Paris to be Arriving at a deluxe hotel suite after their wedding, Noam and Elinor with her, and the two get married. When his visa expires, Yuval returns expect an unforgettable night. What comes next is indeed memorable, to Israel, communicating with his wife and baby via Skype. But instead but for all the wrong reasons. A lovers’ fight leads to a late-night of bringing them together, this new form of interaction only reveals the wandering and a series of bizarre encounters with ex partners, the doubts they harbour about the future of their relationship. A sensitive groom’s parents and a robot vacuum cleaner. Romantic and funny, and compelling drama about relationships, immigration and the impact Honeymood is director Talya Lavie’s follow up to her smash hit technology has on our lives. Zero Motivation, and like its predecessor, a pure joy. UK PREMIERE Sponsored by: Hebrew with English subtitles French, Hebrew, English Isabelle and Ivor Seddon with English subtitles 6 Gala ukjewishfilm.org 7 11th Nov UK Premiere 8th Nov Winter Journey A Call to Spy + Q&A with Martin Goldsmith + Q&A with Sarah Megan Thomas Dir. Anders Østergaard | 87 mins Dir. Lydia Dean Pilcher | 123 mins Denmark, Germany, 2019 USA, 2019 English, German with English subtitles English, French, German with English subtitles Bruno Ganz’s final film is also one of the great actor’s most poignant. Shortly after the war breaks out, He plays Gunther Goldschmidt, a Churchill orders the newly formed naturalised American citizen, who, Special Operations Executive to train during the course of a few days women as spies. This is the story in the mid-1990s, tells his son of two of them–American Virginia Martin the story behind his and Hall and Muslim pacifist Noor Inayat his wife Rosemarie’s escape from Khan–and their recruiter, Jewish- Germany. Based on Martin’s book Romanian spymistress Vera Atkins, which chronicles real events in his who, having escaped antisemitism father’s life, Winter Journey tenderly in her home country, fights it from DRAMA explores the many losses–of her adoptive land. Suspenseful and family members, homeland and inspiring, A Call to Spy is a tribute Poignant, thought-provoking, imaginative: occupation–experienced by those to the heroines whose bravery and our selection of dramas is a treasure trove who survived. ingenuity helped defeat evil. of Jewish experiences from around the world Sponsored by: Sponsored by: Fiona and Peter Needleman The Maurice Hatter Foundation In partnership with: 8 Drama ukjewishfilm.org 9 10th Nov UK Premiere 9th Nov 17th Nov Sneak Preview 13th Nov An Irrepressible The Art of Waiting Asia Black Mercedes Woman Dir. Erez Tadmor | 90 mins Dir. Ruthy Pribar | 85 mins Dir. Janusz Majewski | 117 mins Israel, 2019 Israel, 2020 Poland, 2019 Dir. Laurent Heynemann | 103 mins France, 2019 Hebrew with English subtitles Hebrew, Russian with English subtitles Polish, German with English subtitles French with English subtitles Liran and Tali have been trying to Though wary of men, Asia still looks Warsaw, 1941. The body of a get pregnant for a while without for love while having an affair with beautiful young woman, the wife France, 1940. Defying logic, success. Their decision to embark a married colleague. Her teenage of a prominent lawyer, is found in a Janot Reichenbach, a wealthy on a stressful IVF treatment gives daughter Vika (the wonderful Shira pool of blood on the couple’s kitchen Jewish woman, decides not to flee them hope of finally being on the Haas, Unorthodox ), who suffers table. Investigating the case, a Polish the country with her family. Instead, path to parenthood, but at the same from a degenerative disorder, longs police detective is led to the Nazi- she joins the man she loves, socialist time threatens the very foundations for love, too, but is afraid she will occupied city’s underworld, where politician and three-times Prime of their relationship. Nelly Tagar die before she can experience it. As fake identities, corruption and sex Minister Léon Blum, in the free and Roy Assaf are wonderful as the Vika’s condition deteriorates, Asia is create a menacing and dangerously zone. Determined to stay with Blum would-be parents who are forced determined to make the time they seductive atmosphere. Fusing classic at all costs, she follows him as he is to reconsider what they perceive have left together as meaningful as film noir motifs with a disconcerting moved from France to Buchenwald, as their life’s purpose in this it can possibly be. Writer-director vision of a besieged city, Black where they are both imprisoned. bittersweet drama. Ruthy Pribar’s debut is a sensitive, Mercedes is a wholly unique Elsa Zylberstein shines as a woman if unsentimental, study of a mother- whodunit murder mystery.