Jewish Community Center, Sonoma County
Jewish Film Festival
Our THIRTEENTH Annual Jewish Film Festival
2008 Season
2008 Season Lineup
The First Time I was Twenty
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.
Knowledge is the Beginning
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
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
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
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
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.
The Forgotten Refugees
Last Jews of Libya
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.

















