Films to chew on, laugh about and digest

IF YOU ARE TIRED OF Holocaust films and depressing dramatisations of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prepare to be delighted by the variety of films on offer at this year’s Jewish International Film Festival.  Filmmakers have clearly discovered that there is more to Jewish life than either of these ubiquitous subjects.

This year’s festival is rich in comedy as well as drama, strong on American documentaries and Israeli features, and a particular delight for music-lovers and film buffs who want to revel in the medium.

The choice is overwhelming, so here’s a breakdown:

For something to chew on

If you are looking for a good argument over supper, Israel is always a good place to start. Two offerings address the secular-religious divide in creative ways.  The television series Autonomies sets a high stakes kidnapping attempt in an Israel divided into two autonomous states, one Haredi, the other secular. The Other Story is a feature film which treats the same thematic content in the context of a family drama.  Chained, is a drama confronting machismo and police violence, far from unique to the Israeli society where it is set.

From the Diaspora, a new twist on the Romeo and Juliet theme is Leona, set in Mexico. It’s fodder for the perennial conversation about intermarriage.

Confronting documentaries offer plenty to discuss.  Avenging Evil, tells the story of a secret organisation of Holocaust survivors sworn to revenge.  Advocate (which is sponsored by The Jewish Independent and will feature a Q & A with prominent barrister Robert Richter QC) covers the work of lawyer Lea Tsemel as she defends Palestinian political prisoners in the Israeli judicial system. Family in Transition traces the experience of a couple going through the husband’s transition to living as a woman.