Jewish Film Festival Melbourne

In 1944, Ludwig Guttmann, a talented neurologist and German Jewish refugee, turned Britain’s Stoke Mandeville Hospital on its ear. Rejecting the general view that paralysis was a terminal condition, Guttmann brought in a new, unorthodox philosophy, transforming the spinal injuries unit into a place of miracles. Co-presented by Northwest Division, Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Desert View Performing Arts Center - 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive, Tucson

FREE

January 10

2:00 pm

The announcement of a Speed Dating event exclusively for 70- to 90-year-olds spurs a diverse group of seniors to take stock of aging bodies and still-hopeful hearts. As hopefuls - recently widowed, long-divorced or never-married - prepare for the big day, windows to their souls open, revealing hidden emotions of this often stereotyped population. Co-presented by Tucson Senior Support Alliance

January 14

7:00 pm

Opening Night at the Loft! Anne Gueguen is determined to give the best education she can to her underprivileged inner-city pupils, but overcoming their apathy is more difficult than expected. Lessons from the Holocaust prove to be a potent teaching tool in the hands of this skilled educator, however, and enable her students to see themselves – and others- in a new light. Based on a true story, this inspiring film celebrates the power of education and the importance of cooperation and coexistence in our rapidly changing world. Made possible by the Bob Polinsky Memorial Media Arts Fund

January 15

12:00 pm

THE LUNCHEON AND FASHION SHOW ARE SOLD OUT, but please join us at 1:30 for the film! Producer Ari Seth Cohen will be in attendance! Presented by Maya Palace and the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival

1:30 pm

Dahling, you look mah-velous! Based on the popular blog of the same name, this documentary celebrates the lives of seven unique New Yorkers whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit have guided their approach to aging. Screening will feature a fashion show from Maya Palace

4:00 pm

Tamar's workshop is sold out but we have started a waiting list. Please call (520) 615-5432 to add your name!

January 16

7:30 pm

Women in Sink - Direct from the Other Israel Film Festival! Filmmaker Iris Zaki trains her lens on the women of an Arab-Israeli beauty salon in Haifa and learns how they really feel about peace, strife, life, love, and friends. Israel, 2015, 35 min., Hebrew with subtitles Rock in the Red Zone When American filmmaker, Laura Bialis, set out to document the Sephardic music scene in Sderot, not far from the Gaza border, she had no way to predict where the path would lead. Bialis has crafted an intimate, insightful portrait of Israelis living in a war zone, and the price they pay for their loyalty. Israel, 2015, 90 min., English and Hebrew with subtitles

January 17

1:00 pm

The Seder Leo is bringing his boyfriend home to meet the folks, but Mitchell isn’t just any date, and the Passover Seder isn’t just any meal! (Canada, 2011, 13 min., English) Portrait of a Serial Monogamist Smart, successful, and charming, Elsie is the perfect girlfriend. She also happens to be a serial monogamist, with a long history of broken hearts. When Elsie breaks up with her longstanding girlfriend to pursue another woman, she faces her mother’s disapproval, conflicting advice from friends, and the nagging suspicion that she may have made a big mistake. Canada, 2014, 84 min., English

3:30 pm

Jacob Kaplan fled Europe for Uruguay after WWII, and built a quiet life. But now all that quiet has lost its charm, and he reinvents himself as a Nazi hunter to give his twilight years some meaning. Expertly distilling a potent mixture of emotional depth and deadpan comedy, Mr. Kaplan is a vivacious meditation on family, aging, and the drive for significance. Uruguay’s entry to the 2014 Academy Awards ™