VENUES:
Harkins Shea 14, 7354 E Shea Blvd., Scottsdale
Harkins Chandler Fashion 20, 3159 W Chandler Blvd., Chandler
Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18, 16046 N Arrowhead Fountains Ctr. Dr., Peoria
TICKET PRICES:
$11.00 for adults ($13.00 at the door) /
$7 for students (ID required, 25 yrs & under);
$150.00 Festival Pass (see all 18 movies)
For more information about tickets, ticket packages or group discounts,
call 602-753-9366, or visit gpjff.org
On the Map
Phoenix Premiere
Documentary – (USA) 88 minutes, English
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Sun. Feb. 12, 3 pm
Chandler – Sun. Feb 19, 3 pm
Peoria – Wed. Feb. 22, 7 pm
Producer Nancy Spielberg brings this fast-moving, emotional, and awe-inspiring documentary, recounting how the 1977 Maccabi Tel-Aviv basketball team, that no one thought could win, toppled the four-time defending Soviet team in the European Basketball playoffs, putting Israel firmly on the map. Featuring interviews with the Jewish-American athletes who made history, combined with the pulse-pounding action of a high-stakes game with an incendiary political situation at the height of the Cold War, this is a film that honors Israeli heroes, mesmerizes fans of the game, and captures the spirit of a nation triumphant and victorious against all odds.
Guest Speakers: Harkins Shea 14: Dani Menkin, director
A Tale Of Love and Darkness
Drama – (Israel) 95 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Thurs. Feb. 23, 7 pm
Academy-Award winning actress Natalie Portman makes her directorial debut with Israeli author Amos Oz’ beloved and best-selling memoir. Fania struggles to raise her son in Jerusalem on the eve of Israel’s independence and during the early years of the country. Struggling internally with a married life of unfulfilled promises as well as integration in a foreign land, Fania battles inner demons and longs for a better world for her son. Multilayered, touching, and beautifully rendered, the film examines a fleeting moment in Israeli history through a deeply personal lens.
Kapo In Jerusalem
Arizona Premiere
Drama – (Israel) 93 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Wed. Feb. 15, 7 pm
Peoria – Mon. Feb. 20, 7 pm
Chandler – Wed. Feb. 22, 7 pm
Bruno, a doctor, and Sarah, a pianist, are Holocaust survivors attempting to build new lives in Jerusalem. Trouble appears when rumors begin to spread about Bruno’s sadistic role as a kapo (block captain), and doubt begins to nibble at Sarah›s heart as she tries her best to believe in him and support him. Unfolding in a series of monologues from Bruno, Sarah, and the people who knew him during the war, a complex portrait of Bruno emerges that neither exonerates nor condemns him for his past actions. Based on a true story, this film is a riveting examination of the moral grey zones that people facing life or death must negotiate in order to maintain a sense of humanity.
Fever At Dawn
Arizona Premiere
Drama – (Hungary) 96 minutes, Hungarian,
Swedish & Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Sun. Feb 12, 7 pm
Chandler – Sun. Feb. 22, 3 pm
July 1945. Miklos is a 25-year-old Hungarian who barely has survived Nazi camps only to be given a death sentence – he has tuberculosis and just six months to live. But Miklos didn’t survive the war only to drown from within, so he declares war on his own fate. While at a rehabilitation camp, he acquires the names of the 117 Hungarian women also recovering in Sweden, and he writes a letter to each of them in his beautiful cursive hand. One of these women, he is sure, will become his wife. Based on the letters of the director’s’ parents, this film is a tale of passion, striving, doubt and faith, and the redeeming power of love.
Where’s Poppa?
Comedy – (USA) 83 minutes, English
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Thurs. Feb. 16, 7 pm
New York attorney Gordon has absolutely no personal life. Instead, all his time outside work is spent caring for his senile, demanding and utterly infuriating mother who undermines all of his prospective love interests. Finally, he meets a woman unafraid of her, nurse Louise Callan. For them to get married, Gordon’s mother must go. But when his brother refuses to help, Gordon must find a way to dispose of the old woman, whether that means finding a nursing home or taking more extreme measures. Carl Reiner, the much-lauded director closely associated with the homey values of situation comedies, shocked, surprised, and, in some cases, delighted his admirers with a jet-black, entirely un-PC comedy that is pure 1970s and sure to mine laughs almost half a century later.
Time To Say Goodbye
Comedy – (Germany) 82 minutes, German, w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Tues. Feb. 21, 7 pm
12-year-old Simon Grünberg has a lot to deal with at a difficult hormonal age. Since the recent divorce of his parents, life has been like a tennis match, with Simon being volleyed back and forth between his separated parents. Complicating matters, the family is religiously divided: Simon’s newly-observant father insists his squeamish son sacrifice his foreskin before his bar mitzvah, while liberal-minded mom is fed up with her ex’s pious posturing. Complicating matters is the arrival of Rebecca, a beautiful young rabbi who steals the hearts of both father and son, and whom the young Simon is determined to win with the help of his two best friends. A delightful, story of pubescent awkwardness, this film is a riotous, infinitely relatable, story of family dysfunction, first love and coming of age.
The Second Time Around
Arizona Premiere
Romantic Drama – (Canada) 107 minutes, English
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Tues. Feb. 14, 7 pm
Katherine Mitchell didn’t think she would fall in love again after the death of her husband, certainly not with someone as abrasive and grumpy as Isaac Shapiro. But after breaking her hip and convalescing in a retirement residence, against her will, she soon discovers that Polish tailor, Isaac, shares her passion for music and the happiness it brings. But family problems and unforeseen illness threaten both their blossoming relationship and Katherine’s lifelong dream of going to the opera in Milan. Heartwarming and thoroughly romantic, this film shows it is never too late to fall in love and start over.
Sabena Hijacking
Arizona Premiere
Docudrama – (Israel) 104 minutes, English and Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Peoria – Sun. Feb. 19, 3 pm
Chandle – Thurs. Feb. 23, 7 pm
Scottsdale – Sun. Feb. 26, 3 pm
On May 8, 1972, members of Black September, the armed wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization, hijacked Flight 571 from Brussels to Tel Aviv. Based on a true story and previously undiscovered audio recordings of the calm and collected English pilot, this film recounts the previously untold story of what took place on the flight during the 30 hours of nerve-racking captivity. The film channels the English pilot’s view of the events and elaborates on them with cinematic reenactments, archival footage and exclusive access to three revered Israeli political leaders (Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres) who were in charge of the rescue effort, as well as Therese Halsa, the only surviving hijacker.
Baba Joon
Drama – (Israel) 91 minutes, English, Farsi and Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Thurs. Feb. 16, 3 pm
Peoria – Sun. Feb. 19, 7 pm
Israel’s first full-length film in Farsi sensitively explores intergenerational relations within an Iranian-Jewish family living in Southern Israel. Father Yitzhak is proud to maintain the same turkey farm that his own now-ailing father built when the family moved from Iran to Israel. He hopes to pass it on to his own son, Moti, but the stubborn boy has other ideas which includes fixing up cars rather than taking over the family business. The arrival from America of Yitzak’s brother fuels the increasing tension between father and son. The account of generational fighting is a universal portrait of conflict that resonates universally.
A Grain Of Truth
Arizona Premiere
Thriller – (Poland) 108 minutes, Polish, w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Wed. Feb 15, 3 pm
Former star of the Warsaw prosecutors’ office, Teodor Szacki has ended his career and marriage to start a new life in a sleepy southeast Polish town. Seen as an outsider by the close-knit community, he faces suspicion when called in to get to the bottom of the brutal murder of a well-known social activist whose body is discovered outside a former synagogue. As the trail of victims grows, and the killer remains elusive, tempers flare and rumors run rampant among some of the locals who believe these are Jewish ritual killings. Aided by a veteran police detective, reluctant female prosecutor and local rabbi, Teodor must unravel the painful tangle of Polish-Jewish relations and solve the enigmatic case while facing a rising tide of public and media hysteria.
Laugh Lines
Arizona Premiere
Drama – (Israel) 96 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Wed. Feb. 22, 7 pm
When Hannah learns that her beloved husband Froike has only a few months left to live, she decides they should die together. Froike, however, has other plans, and with the help of their granddaughter he gives his wife a new lease on life. Moving out of her old house, befriending a young man and opening herself up to new experiences, Hannah proves to herself and those around her that youth is more than just about one’s age, it is a state of mind. This film is a heartwarming comedy about families, love and the art of staying young while growing old.
Indignation
Drama – (USA) 96 minutes, English
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Sun. Feb 20, 7 pm
Peoria – Sun. Feb. 26, 3 pm
Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Roth’s 2008 novel, this film follows Marcus Messner, a brilliant working class Jewish boy from New Jersey, who travels on scholarship to a small, conservative college in Ohio in 1951, thus exempting him from being drafted into the Korean War. Once there, Marcus’s growing infatuation with his beautiful classmate and his clashes with the college’s imposing Dean, put his and his family’s best-laid plans to the ultimate test. An elegant adaptation of Roth’s personally inspired emotional story that proves a masterful reminder of the power of fighting for your ideals.
Wünderkinder
Phoenix Premiere
Drama – (Germany) 97 minutes, German w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Sun. Feb 19, 7 pm
Chandler – Tues. Feb 21, 7 pm
Peoria – Thurs. Feb 23, 7 pm
The moving story of three exceptional child prodigies – two Jewish, one who is not – whose innocent world is turned upside down during World War II. Living in Poltava/Ukraine in 1941, the three children want nothing more than to one day perform at Carnegie Hall and all share one great love: music. When the Nazis invade, they are forced to use their musical skill, their undying friendship and an abundant amount of courage to try to survive a grown up world gone mad. A rare and mesmerizing Holocaust drama told primarily from a child’s point of view, but is not a children’s movie.
Moos
Romantic Comedy – (Netherlands) 91 minutes,
Dutch w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Chandler – Sun. Feb. 26, 3 pm
Moos has only one aspiration: to be admitted to a prestigious performing arts academy. When she fails her audition, she gets a job at the cafeteria instead and, encouraged by a handsome and flirtatious singing teacher, starts taking private lessons. But it’s when her longtime childhood friend, Sam, arrives as a surprise guest from Israel, that Moos gets the jolt she needs to examine her life and the choices she’s made. With Sam back, Moos realizes that she’s put her life on hold to take care of others, and she needs to follow her own dreams before it’s too late. Throw in some romance, and this film is an inspiring story of a young girl›s search to find her voice and, in the process, herself.
To Life
Arizona Premiere
Drama – (France) 104 minutes, French w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Tues. Feb. 14, 3 pm
In postwar Paris, Hélène, a young Auschwitz survivor, attempts to rebuild her life while searching for Lily and Rose, her two friends from the camp. When the women are finally reunited, they share a vacation in 1962 in the vibrant seaside resort of Berck-sur-mer, reconnecting and enjoying the intimacies of life, love and faith. Despite their shared grief and sorrow, each woman refuses to sacrifice her happiness to the past. An emotionally complex film about the sustaining power of friendship paints a soaring depiction of three women and their unyielding courage against the darkest tragedies.
Rosenwald
Documentary – (USA) 95 minutes, English
Screening:
Chandler – Sun. Feb. 12, 3 pm
Scottsdale – Sun. Feb. 19, 3 pm
Peoria – Tues. Feb. 21, 7 pm
Driven equally by the Jewish ideal of tzedakah (charity), the writings of Booker T. Washington, and an increasing awareness of racial inequality in American society, Sears CEO Julius Rosenwald dedicated his newfound enormous wealth and prestige to joining with African-American communities in the South in the days of segregation to build over 5,300 schools and establish the Rosenwald Fund for the support of African American artists and intellectuals. This film brings to light how one person – a modest man, successful businessman and unsung Jewish hero – did his very best to keep the spirit of tikkun olam alive and help repair the world around him.
Remember
Drama – (Canada) 95 minutes, English
Screenings:
Chandler – Mon. Feb 20, 7 pm
Scottsdale – Thurs. Feb 23, 3 pm
Burdened with memory loss and his beloved wife’s recent passing, 90-year-old Zev Guttman is in a race against time to find personal catharsis and overdue justice. Having seemingly suppressed the wartime horrors of decades earlier, he is prompted to track down his fugitive Nazi tormentor by fellow Auschwitz survivor Max, a wheelchair-bound resident of their New York City nursing home. Seizing on an elaborate mission of vengeance, Zev embarks on a cross-country odyssey to find the former commander responsible for murdering their families, who they now believe to be living somewhere in the country under an assumed identity. As Zev closes in on his target, his manhunt is complicated by his own constantly crumbling sense of self. Directed by Atom Egoyan, This film braids together themes of mourning and self-denial in an intensely paced and intricately plotted story.
The Law
Arizona Premiere
Drama – (France) 90 minutes, French w/ English subtitles
Screenings:
Scottsdale – Mon. Feb. 13, 7 pm
Simone Veil is the Jewish French-born lawyer and politician who survived Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen to emerge as a leading champion of women’s rights. After World War II ends, Veil rises through the ranks of national government to become Prime Minister Jacques Chirac’s health minister in 1974. The driving force behind a then-controversial law to legalize abortion in the 1970’s, Veil faces strong opposition from the Catholic Church and her own factionalized party in pushing for landmark legislation to decriminalize abortion in France. Fighting for survival during the Holocaust prepared Veil to withstand a campaign of vile personal and anti-Semitic attacks, as the unflappable lawyer maneuvers around the religious and moral minefields at the forefront of the women’s rights battle.
