2011 SHORT FILM Program

Summary

A number of our feature films is preceeded by the screening of one or more short films.  This year's short films come to us from around the world. 

"Anita's Journey" (USA) - Against all odds, three generations of this German Jewish family survived underground in and around Berlin in Nazi Germany for two and one half years. Award winning artist film maker, Shelley Jordon uses a variety of drawing, painting and mixed-media techniques to depict her mother-in-law's experience depicted from Anita;s six-year-old point of view. She creates a psychological narrative with images that combine historical fact with imagined dreams and memories. SHOWING WITH - FACING THE NAZI ERA: CONVERSATIONS IN SOUTHERN GERMANY

"Heilig" (UK) - A meditative story of a parent child relationship, Heilig offers an intimate portrait of Jewish Kindertransport refugee Gerhard Heilig, now 85 and living in retirement in Vienna.  Heilig explores not only Gerhard's own escape from Nazi Austria but the imprisonment at Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps of his father, Bruno Heilig, an anti-nazi political journalist and later, writer of one of the first eye witness accounts of life in the concentration camps.  SHOWING WITH - THE HEART OF AUSCHWITZ

"High Holidays" (Canada) - A  whimsical love story that takes place on Yom Kippur. Written and produced locally by first-time filmmaker, Earl Krieger.  Directed by Vicky Van.  SHOWING WITH - THE NAMES OF LOVE

"Leah" (Israel) - A moving film that tells the story of Leah Biteolin, an Ethiopian olah who arrived in Israel at the age for four after walking through the desert from Ethiopia to Sudan, Leah arrived in Israel. The film follows her story; her struggle for identity, her trip back to her birthplace, and her success as a law student. A fascinating story full of hope, inspiration and recognition of the wonders of life.  SHOWING WITH - THE RESCUERS: HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST

"The Other Side" (Israel) - Michal is stuck in the bathroom behind a closed door. Dvorah, who gets there accidentally, tries to help her out.  A witty dialogue exposes the two characters and their common secret from the past.  SHOWING WITH - I MISS YOU

"Starring David" (Netherlands) - David is a 12-year-old high-flyer. He's ambitious, witty and Jewish. "Well... almost Jewish," he admits. There's just one slight problem: his father is Jewish, but his mother is not, so according to Jewish law he's not Jewish.  David wants to become fully Jewish and really belong, but why? What's so special about being Jewish? What does it mean to be part of the Jewish people?  SHOWING WITH - THE CANTOR'S SON

"The Silence" (Canada) - A animated short film that celebrates family bonds and resiliency. Holocaust survivor Lily Gluck Lerner's stoic yet haunting voiceover audio testimony provides the narrative: the story of a young woman who will stop at nothing to keep her family together through the ultimate tragedy.  SHOWING WITH - MODUS OPERANDI

We will also be screening the 2011 collection of short films created by the Israeli, Arab and Canadian young people participating in the Peace It Together - Youth Building Peace Through Film program just this past summer. "Peace it Together unites youth from opposing sides of a conflict for a program of dialogue and filmmaking. The films they co-create are used as peace-building tools to advance reconciliatory approaches to ending the conflict."

"Grave Digging" Ayat Mohammed, Iftach Shapira, Julien Thomas - A reflection on the present circumstances surrounding the conflict, and the glimpses of humanity in which we find ourselves.  SHOWING WITH - MY SO-CALLED ENEMY

"Hacked" Khalil Sawafa, Pardis Pahlavanlu, Shoni Aronovich - A famous writer and his family enjoy a simple and happy life, but something is not right.  SHOWING WITH - SHOLEM ALEICHEM: LAUGHING AT THE DARKNESS

"In the Presence of Absence" Ansar El-Refai, Brigid Tierney, Chen Cohen - Perceptions and ideas of the "other" are explored as two girls meet in the space that divides them.  SHOWING WITH - MY SO-CALLED ENEMY

"INsecurity" Daniel Wosk, Liran Shechter, Omar Sawaid - A short, impressionistic film that reflects on human conditions and emotions, while questioning measures of security common to individuals in the Palestinian/Israeli.  SHOWING WITH - LITTLE ROSE

"Common Grounds" Ibrahim Handal, Nir Omer, Tim Hall - The morning routines of an Israeli and a Palestinian are woven into a single story of humanity, loss and coffee.  SHOWING WITH - MY SO-CALLED ENEMY

"Bread" Inbar Hamdi, Mohamed Hawareen, Victor Heeckt - Visualizations of unity and conflict through the creation of two national breads with very similar ingredients.  SHOWING WITH - MY SO-CALLED ENEMY

"Through a Glass, Darkly" Jenni-Leigh Harder, Maram Abdo, Rotem Rumney - Two women brought together by their own story - a reflection of grief and death that surrounds them.  SHOWING WITH - I SHALL REMEMBER

"Movement" Amal Adawi, Daniel Le Baron, Daniella Segal - Two dancers from opposing communities express their pain through movement.  SHOWING WITH - SIMON KONIASKI

"The Butterfly Effect" Basil El-Khoury, Fatima Ahmed, Sofia Dukarevich - A discussion of social problems facing today's global community, with a focus on how these actions create ripple effects around the world.  SHOWING WITH - SIMON KONIASKI

"Spectrum" Anita Hung, Shams Said, Shai Azati - A newspaper delivery man discovers the significance of expanding one's perspective.  SHOWING WITH - MY SO-CALLED ENEMY

Screenings

The Ridge Theatre
November 20 2011 | 03:00 PM