The 2017 Miami Jewish Film Festival, now in its final week, is celebrating a milestone. This year the festival, which screened 65 films from 20 countries, celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Following are a few entries you might not want to miss:
Mr. Gaga – This Israeli film looks at the life and work of Ohad Naharin, renowned choreographer and artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company.
Big Sonia – This documentary, directed by U.S. filmmakers Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday, introduces audiences to Sonia Warshawski, one of Kansas City’s last living Holocaust survivors. The film follows Warshawski, a tiny woman with a huge impact, as she struggles to hold onto her family business.
Persona Non Grata – This entry from Japan tells the true story of Chiune Sugihara. A diplomat based in Lithuania who would later come to be known as the “Japanese Schindler,” Sugihara acted against orders to save thousands of Jewish lives from Nazi extermination during World War II.
My Hero Brother – A film from Israel that tells the story of a group of young people with Down Syndrome who embark on a demanding trip through the Indian Himalayas, accompanied by their brothers and sisters. (Free community screening.)
- Scarred Hearts -- Inspired by Romanian author Max Blecher's autobiographical novel, this film is set in the summer of 1937 on the Black Sea coast, where an aspiring writer is sent for treatment of his tuberculosis.
For more information, please visit miamijewishfilmfestival.org or call 305-573-7304.
