Literature: 3 film(s)
Within the Whirlwind
The Axe of Wandsbek / Das Beil von Wandsbek
Valentina's Mother / Ima Shel Valentina
CLOSING NIGHT
Within the Whirlwind
Marleen Gorris, Germany/Poland/Belgium, 2009, 98m
New York Premiere/ Watch the trailer.Jewish poet and professor Evgenia Ginzburg lived a privileged life in Stalinist Russia—until faced with trumped-up charges of conspiracy. Stripped of her Communist Party membership and teaching post, Ginzburg served a ten-year sentence in a Siberian gulag, surviving through the kindness of her fellow inmates and the power of poetry. Based on Ginzburg’s memoirs, this epic from Oscar-winner Marleen Gorris (Antonia’s Line) features stunning performances by Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves) and Ulrich Tukur (The Lives of Others).
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm
The Axe of Wandsbek / Das Beil von Wandsbek
Falk Harnack, East Germany, 1951, 111m
New York Premiere of Restored PrintAdapted from the 1947 novel by Arnold Zweig, this gripping drama set in 1934 follows a man who is paid by the Nazis to serve as a public executioner and goes on to be rejected by his community. The Axe Of Wandsbek considers the role that common citizens played in Nazi crimes.
Barton Byg, DEFA Film Library/UMass-Amherst, will be in attendance.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm
Valentina's Mother / Ima Shel Valentina
Matti Harari & Arik Lubetzky, Israel, 2008, 75m
New York PremiereAfter resisting her son’s attempts to find live-in help, Paula agrees to hire Valentina, a young Polish housekeeper. Speaking and singing in Polish, the two enjoy each other’s companionship until Paula’s repressed memories of the Holocaust start to emerge. Based on a novella by Israeli writer Savyon Liebrecht, this haunting drama features strong performances and an unforgettable ending.
Matti Harari, Director, will be in attendance.
preceded by
Pinhas
Pini Tavger, Israel, 2008, 32m
New York PremiereA nine-year-old son of Russian immigrants in Israel seeks out the warmth and companionship of his religious neighbors.
Mon Jan 25: 3:00pm
Tue Jan 26: 1:30pm
Wed Jan 27: 6:15pm
This year's New York Jewish Film Festival was selected by Rachel Chanoff, Independent Curator; Andrew Ingall, Assistant Curator, The Jewish Museum; Richard Peña, Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center; Aviva Weintraub, Associate Curator and Director of the NYJFF, The Jewish Museum.
