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Jewish Community Center
Sonoma County

170 Farmers Lane, # 5
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
(707) 528-4222
(707) 528-4288, FAX

The Sonoma County Jewish Film Festival is a program of the Jewish Community Center, a beneficiary of the Jewish Community Federation.

Jewish Community Center, Sonoma County
Jewish Film Festival

Our THIRTEENTH Annual Jewish Film Festival
2008 Season

September 23 through December 11, 2008
Rialto Cinemas Lakeside, Santa Rosa
Cinema West Boulevard Cinemas, Petaluma
Cinema West Sebastopol Cinemas

Knowledge is the Beginning

Tuesday, September 23, 7:15PM PETALUMA
Thursday, September 25, 1:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA

A chance encounter between renowned pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim and the late Palestinianborn writer and Columbia University professor Edward Said led to Barenboim’s creation of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, an ensemble of eighty young musicians from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Tunisia. Part concert film and part documentary, Knowledge is the Beginning chronicles the orchestra from its beginnings, including unforgettable scenes of students from such diverse backgrounds creating music together. 115 minutes, In English, German, Hebrew, & Arabic. English subtitles.

Noodle

Thursday, October 23, 1:00PM, 4:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA ONLY

Miri, a twice-widowed, thirty-seven year old El Al fl ight attendant’s life is suddenly turned upside down by an abandoned Chinese boy whose migrant-worker mother has been summarily deported from Israel. Noodle is a touching comic-drama in which two human beings -- as different from each other as Tel Aviv is from Beijing -- accompany each other on a remarkable journey that takes them both back to a meaningful life. Winner of the Grand Prix of the Jury, Montreal World Film Festival. 100 minutes, in Hebrew/ Mandarin with English subtitles

Orthodox Stance

Tuesday, October 28, 7:15PM PETALUMA
Thursday, October 30, 4:00PM SANTA ROSA
Wednesday, December 3, 7:15PM SEBASTOPOL

Orthodox Stance is a fascinating journey into the contradictory worlds of Orthodox Judaism and prizefi ghting. Dmitriy Salita is a 24 year-old immigrant and Orthodox Jew who prays daily, keeps kosher and is also an undefeated professional boxer who packs one heck of a wallop. This documentary fi lm takes us behind the scenes to experience Dimitriy’s grueling training, tense contract negotiations, as well as his pre-fi ght prayers before the North American Junior Welterweight title. Cheering him on are hundreds of Ultra Orthodox Jews. 83 minutes, in English.

Bad Faith

Wednesday, October 29, 7:15PM SEBASTOPOL
Thursday, October 30, 1:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA

In this charming romantic comedy reminiscent of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, Ismael and Clara are a happy, cosmopolitan Parisian couple. Neither of them is religious, and they’re not at all bothered by the fact that Ismael is an Arab Muslim and Clara a Jew. When Clara learns she’s pregnant the couple is faced with navigating the fear and disappointment of their family and friends. Middle East politics and religious differences threaten to destroy their relationship. Can love overcome all? 88 minutes, in French, with English subtitles.

Out of Sight

Wednesday, November 5, 7:15PM PETALUMA
Thursday, November 6, 1:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA

Ya’ara is an attractive, confident, and independent 24 year old who has just begun her PhD in Mathematics at Princeton University . Ya’ara is also blind. When she learns of the suicide of her cousin, and dearest childhood friend, Talia. Ya’ara rushes back to Israel. When Ya’ara joins Talia’s family to mourn her death she discovers the secrets of Talia’s life and embarks on an investigation to learn what led Talia to commit suicide. Out of Sight is a powerful story of secrets, lies, and betrayal. 89 minutes, in Hebrew with English subtitles.

Souvenirs

Wednesday, November 12, 7:15PM PETALUMA
Thursday, November 13, 1:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA

The winner of the Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary, Souvenirs is a charming, funny and touching father-son journey in search of the ‘souvenirs’ the father may have left with two Dutch women during his service in the Jewish Brigade while stationed in Amsterdam during World War II. With humor and compassion, Souvenirs exposes a complex father-son relationship and raises universal questions about the myth of bravery and the gap between memory and historical truth. 75 minutes, in He brew with English subtitles.

The Forgotten Refugees

Last Jews of Libya

Tuesday, December 2, 7:15PM PETALUMA
Thursday, December 4, 1:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA

Employing the testimony of Jewish refugees along with dramatic archival footage of rescue missions, The Forgotten Refugees relates the history and destruction of Jewish communities throughout the Middle East. Compelling analyses by contemporary scholars explores how and why the Arab world’s Jewish population declined from almost one million in 1945 to only several thousand today. 49 minutes. In English

At the end of World War II 36,000 Jews resided in Libya; today, none remain. Using rare archival film and photographs, and a recently discovered memoir, The Last Jews of Libya traces the Roumani family from Turkish Ottoman rule to the fi nal destruction and dispersal of Libya’s Jews in the face of Arab nationalism. 52 minutes, in English, Hebrew, Italian, and Arabic.

The First Time I was Twenty

Tuesday, December 9, 7:15PM PETALUMA
Thursday, December 11, 1:00PM & 7:15PM SANTA ROSA

This charming comedy takes place during the Sixties in the suburbs of Paris. Sixteen-year old Hannah has a family who loves her. But she’s still unhappy. Gifted with musical talent, Hannah has chosen an instrument that resembles her, the bass, and dreams of joining her school’s jazz band. She passes the audition with fl ying colors, but her new colleagues, keen to maintain the group’s male line-up, stop at nothing in their efforts to discourage her. 93 minutes, in French with English subtitles.

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Attend the 2008 Season

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

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Sponsor the 2008 Season

The JCC, Sonoma County Jewish Film Festival relies heavily on business and personal sponsors for the funding to keep ticket prices affordable. Personal Sponsorships include season tickets and start at $195.

Sponsors can reserve season tickets NOW. To become a sponsor, please download the appropriate sponsorship form, or email or call us at 528-4222 to request a Sponsor packet.

Click here to download the 2008 Season Personal Sponsorship Form


Click here to download the 2008 Season Corporate Sponsorship Form

Click here to learn more about 2008 Season Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

2008 Film Festival Committee:

Berni Baxter and Elly Cohen (Co-Chairs), Dina Angress, Harriet Baer, Ellen Blustein, Elaine Greenwood, Ed Harman, Judy Kayen, Katy Lusson, Larry Prager, Bonnie and Richard Rowe, Lisa Routman, Estelle Ross, Cymi Siegel, Roberta Simons, Sandy Smith, Gloria Solomon, Lee Strauss, Steve Turer, Irene Wilson, Marcia Woodworth

Prior Festival Programs

2008 Films Underwritten by:

Jewish Film Festival 2008 Sponsors