Baklava and The Meaning of Life
USA, 1999, 23 minutes, color
Directed by Jamil Simon
DVD
Where does one find the meaning of life?
Perhaps it lies in the kitchen of sculptor
Helene Simon, where she shows us how to
make her world famous Baklava. More
France, 1999, 55 mins, color/B&W
Directed by Alex Szalat
16mm VHS
Yakov Ben Dov came to Jerusalem from the Ukraine in 1907 with little more than a still camera to his name. More
USA, 1997, 100 minutes, color/B&W
Directed by Simcha Jacobovici
16mm VHS
Based on Neal Gabler's best-selling book An Empire of Their Own, this feature-length documentary tells the story of the men who founded Hollywood. More
USA, 1992, 60 minutes, color
Produced by Vivienne Hermann and Dale Sonnenberg
VHS
At the age of nine, artist Vivienne Hermann was caught in a mass arrest on the streets of Prague and subsequently spent five years in forced labor camps in Czechoslovakia and Poland before being liberated by the Russians in 1945. More
UK, 1998, 52 minutes, color
Directed by Anne Webber
DVD VHS
This film is a compelling detective story about one family's 50 year quest to recover their missing art collection, set against a background of murder, greed and corruption. More
USA, 1983, 73 minutes, color
Directed by Jim Brown
35mm 16mm
Since its first concert in 1978, the Soviet Emigre Orchestra was hailed by critics and audiences as one of the best chamber music ensembles in America. This "entertainment-documentary" combines superb performances (including music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich) with an examination of the lives of the orchestra members and their conductor, Lazar Gosman. Director Brown expertly documents the struggles and triumphs of these Soviet Jewish musicians who risked their futures to seek personal and artistic freedom in the United States."An unqualified delight." - Vincent Canby, New York Times
"A tender and glowing story of artists who survive to share their music... beautiful." - Judith Crist
USA, 1945, 139 minutes, B&W
Directed by Irving Rapper
16mm
Biography of the brilliant American composer George Gershwin whose life and music were cut short by a fatal brain tumor in 1937. "Rhapsody in Blue" is performed almost in its entirety in this film by famed pianist and Gershwin friend, Oscar Levant.
Canada, 2003, 48 min, color
Directed by Christa Singer
DVD
On the occasion of a retrospective exhibit of his work, painter Samuel Bak returned to his hometown of Vilna. More
USA, 1978, 60 minutes, color
Directed by Herbert Dorfman
DVD VHS
Join jazz saxophone virtuoso Stan Getz on his 1977 three week tour of Israel. More
USA, 1990, 30 minutes, color
Directed by Daniel Keller, Charles Light & Rob Okun
16mm DVD
Based on a compelling book and nationally touring art exhibit, this film shows the influence of the Rosenberg case on the work of artists past and present including Arthur Miller, poet Adrienne Rich, Picasso and many more. More
The National Center For Jewish Film
Brandeis University, Lown 102, MS053, Waltham MA 02454
P: (781) 899 7044, F: (781) 736 2070
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