San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2018

[Chris Knipp]

THE MOSSAD (Duki Dror 2018)

Not one of the bold, shocking Israeli docs, except for members of their spy organization talking at all. The paradox: the Secret War is better than all-out conventional war, but these guys never consider treaties. It's not in their playbook. Interviews with most of the important directors and some operatives of the Israeli MI6 or CIA.

Showing on Tues., 24 July at CitiArts, Palo Alto; Thurs. 26 July at the Castro, San Francisco, at 1:15 p.m.; and Fri., 27 July at Albany Twin, Albany at 3:50 p.m.

[Chris Knipp]

THE PRINCE AND THE DYBBUK (Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolowski 2017)

A poetic and dreamy film about a rather strange man. Jewish, homosexual, expelled from yeshiva after being a star pupil, son of a blacksmith, he ran away to Warsaw, changed his name, and became a famous filmmaker. He called himself a prince, and in Rome, later Spain, produced grand Hollywood spectaculars, hung out with James Mason, Sophia Loren, Orson Welles. His lost love haunted him like a dybbuk, and though hiding his origins, he kept diaries in Yiddish. The filmmakers, who won a prize at Venice, track their subject in Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe and Israel - yet arguably omit some important facts.

At the SFJFF showtimes are: on Sun., 22 July at 2:05 p.m. at the Castro, San Francisco, and on Sat. 4 Aug. at 2:00 p.m. at the Piedmont Theater in Oakland.

[Chris Knipp]

THE TWINNING REACTIOIN (Lori Shinseki 2017)

Here again is that "Nazi shit," as one of the triplets calls it: the cruel and pointless Viola Bernard-Peter Neubeuer twin study of the Sixties and Seventies in which identical siblings were separated unknown to them or their adoptive parents for a study that never bore fruit and has been sealed - the topic of Three Identical Siblings. This documentary is only 55 minutes and was stared several years earlier. It covers similar ground, the two films are "twins" themselves. But this smaller one may be more incisive.

Shown in the SFJFF 3:25p.m. on Tues. 24 Jul. 2018 at CineArts, Palo Alto
and at 2:15 p.m. on Fri., 3 Aug., at Piedmont Theater, Oakland.

[Chris Knipp]

WINTER HUNT/WINTERJAGR (Astrid Schult 2017)

This thriller set in the mansion of a former Nazi, costarring Michael Degen and his daughter Elizabeth, was shown on German television 2 Oct. 2017/ Screened for this review as part of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

SFJFF Showtmes:
Thurs. 26 Jul. at 8:55 p.m. at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, Sat. 4 Aug. at the Piedmont Theater in Oakland, and Sun. 5 Aug. at 6:25 p.m., San Rafael.

[Chris Knipp]

SFJFF Release.

BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES (2018)

Note that Sophie Huber's BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES (2018) gets its theatrical release today. The revisit of the two Jewish immigrants who formed the most famous label in jazz is a must-see for music fans. It provides a review of essential jazz history. A NY Times "Critic's Pick," it got an enthusiastic review from Glenn Kenny. Watch for it.