AJFF: Explore All 77 Films
These are the 77 films showing during the 16th Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. We’ll be adding more reviews to this site and welcome your opinions in the comment space below.
Feature Narratives
Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong — Two Americans in Hong Kong, one of whom is Jewish, find they’re drawn to each other despite being involved in serious relationships. USA
Atomic Falafel — A falafel truck, a nuclear inspector, an online teen friendship and Farsi hip-hop may be all that stands in the way of a nuclear war between Israel and Iran in this “Dr. Strangelove”-style farce. Israel
Demon — A foreigner moving into a Polish farmhouse to marry his fiancée acts increasingly odd as a dybbuk possesses him in a bloodless horror movie. Poland
Fire Birds — The investigation of a slain Holocaust survivor in Tel Aviv reveals secrets about the victim, the culprit and the police detective in this dark comedy. Israel
The Front — A bookie (played by Woody Allen) serves as the front for writers who can’t work because of the 1950s Hollywood black list in this comedy back for its 40th anniversary. USA
A Grain of Truth — Murders in a small Polish city raise the specter of the blood libel. Poland
The Grüninger File — A Swiss border policeman risks everything to smuggle Jews across the border from Austria in 1938 in the true story of Paul Grüninger. Austria, Germany, Switzerland
His Wife’s Lover — This musical farce, marking its 85th anniversary, is a battle of the sexes straight from the Yiddish stage. USA
JeruZalem — Two American girls’ dream trip to Jerusalem turns into a nightmare when a gate to hell opens on Yom Kippur, unleashing a plague worse than zombies. Israel
The Kind Words — After their mother dies, three siblings in Jerusalem set out on a quest through France to find their biological father. Israel
The Law — Holocaust survivor Simone Veil leads the charge to legalize abortion in France in the 1970s in this biopic. France
Marathon Man — Marking its 40th anniversary is this Dustin Hoffman-Laurence Olivier classic about running, dentistry, hidden war criminals and Nazi loot. USA
The Midnight Orchestra — A Jewish musician who fled Morocco in 1973 returns to learn about his late father and put his orchestra back together. Morocco
Mountain — A lonely Orthodox housewife living on the Mount of Olives discovers that the cemetery next door becomes a center of prostitution at night, and she can’t stay away. Israel
Naked Among Wolves — The arrival of a child hidden in a suitcase shakes up plans for an uprising of Buchenwald prisoners in March 1945. Germany
Natasha — The daughter of a Russian mail-order bride seduces her new teenage cousin in Toronto’s Russian Jewish community. Canada
The People vs. Fritz Bauer — Facing obstacles from his fellow West Germans, a Jewish prosecutor slips crucial intelligence about Adolf Eichmann to Israel. Germany
Persona Non Grata — This biopic tells the story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis. Japan
The Pracht Inn — Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem in the 1960s share a hostel and a struggle against grief and loneliness while facing the strict rules of their innkeeper. Israel
Rabin, the Last Day — Filmmaker Amos Gitai does his best Oliver Stone impression in this docudrama about the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Israel
Remember — A recently widowed Auschwitz survivor, suffering from dementia but following the instructions of a fellow survivor at a nursing home, sets out to find and kill the camp officer who killed their families. Canada
Singing in the Dark — Back for its 60th anniversary, one of the earliest U.S. films about the Holocaust tells about a survivor who arrives in America with a great voice and no memory of what happened in Europe. USA
Song of Songs — After escaping his shtetl to become a doctor, a boy returns in the hope of winning the heart of his childhood sweetheart. Ukraine
Tikkun — The lives of a yeshiva student and his shochet father spiral out of control after extraordinary medical efforts save the son from a perhaps divinely decreed death. Israel
Time to Say Goodbye — A coming-of-age comedy involves an impending bar mitzvah celebration, a possible circumcision and crush on a teacher. Germany
To Life! — A Holocaust survivor who was a cabaret singer finds a reason to live in a new friendship with a young man battling his own demons in Berlin. Germany
Wedding Doll — A young woman with a disability seeks love and independence at a toilet paper factory in the Negev. Israel
Feature Documentaries
Breakfast at Ina’s — Chicago’s “breakfast queen,” Ina Pinkney, reaches the end of her restaurant career. USA
By Sidney Lumet — Based on an interview just before his death in 2011, this movie tells the story of the filmmaker behind such classics as “12 Angry Men,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Network.”
Carvalho’s Journey — Sephardic photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho travels 2,400 miles through the 19th-century Western frontier, surviving with help from American Indians and Brigham Young. USA
Censored Voices — Kibbutzniks listen to long-censored recordings made in 1967 by Amos Oz and others about their thoughts on serving in the Six-Day War. Israel
Children of Giant — The behind-the-scenes story of the making of the 1956 film “Giant” explores racial divisions and the immigrant experience. USA
East Jerusalem West Jerusalem — Israeli musician David Broza records his latest album with Palestinians in East Jerusalem to send a message of peace. Israel
East LA Interchange — A neighborhood that once had the largest Jewish population on the West Coast has transformed into a predominantly Hispanic, largely immigrant area. USA
Every Face Has a Name — Holocaust survivors view newsreel footage of their arrival at a refugee waystation in Malmo, Sweden, in 1945 in a film whose message is as much about the current refugee crisis as the past. Sweden
Flory’s Flame — Sarajevo-born Flory Jagoda, who came to America and escaped the Holocaust, is a dominant force in keeping traditional Sephardic music alive. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Spain, USA
In Line for Anne Frank — Visitors from around the world at Anne Frank’s hiding place in Amsterdam talk about what her story means to them. Netherlands
In Search of Israeli Cuisine — Chef Michael Solomonov takes a three-week journey into what makes Israeli food and Israelis themselves. USA
Je Suis Charlie — The slaughter at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo in January 2015 sparks this tribute and exploration of free speech. France
Look at Us Now, Mother! — A Jewish woman and her mother go through therapy together to work on their frayed relationship. USA
Morgenthau — Three generations of New York’s Morgenthau family fight genocide abroad and corruption and street crime at home.
The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer — Female translators skirt the line between professional and romantic while helping the Yiddish author reach English-language audiences. Israel
Rabin in His Own Words — Interviews, home movies and documents enable Yitzhak Rabin to tell his life story 20 years after his assassination. Israel
Rock in the Red Zone — A young music scene thrives in Sderot, the town that has faced a decade of rocket fire from Gaza. Israel, USA
Sabena Hijacking: My Version — Interviews with participants, including Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, and re-enactments bring to life a 1972 hijacking and rescue. Israel
Surviving Skokie — Filmmaker Eli Adler and his Holocaust survivor father, Jack Adler, reflect on the neo-Nazi march through Skokie, Ill., in 1977 and the family members lost in the death camps and ghettos. USA, Poland
That Daughter’s Crazy — Richard Pryor’s Jewish daughter, comedian Rain Pryor, discusses her search for her own identity. USA
The Three Hikers — Three American backpackers reflect on their ordeal as suspected spies held by Iran for two years after accidentally crossing the border in 2009. USA
The Venice Ghetto, 500 Years of Life — Fictional characters and animation are used to recount the history of the Venice Ghetto, established in March 2016. France, Italy
Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt — The life and influence of the political theorist known for the phrase “the banality of evil” are explored. Canada, Israel
What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy — The sons of two Nazi war criminals confront their family legacies in different ways. United Kingdom
Shorts
Double Feature
Our Boys — The abduction and murder of three Israeli teens in June 2014 leads to war in Gaza and a surge in anti-Semitism in Europe. Israel, USA
To Step Forward Myself — Alex Singer, who made aliyah after college and was killed in fighting in Lebanon, is recalled through his letters and interviews with loved ones. Israel, USA
Program 1
And Then, Violence — A law student lives in constant fear amid rising anti-Semitism in Paris. France
Bacon & G-d’s Wrath — A 90-year-old woman tries bacon for the first time after losing her Jewish faith on the Internet. Canada
Curt Lowens: A Life of Changes — A man recounts his Holocaust survival. USA
Kapunka — An Israeli farmer tries to get around shmita laws by signing over his land to a Thai worker. Israel
The Little Dictator — A downtrodden professor must address a gathering of in-laws after a facial-hair mishap. Israel
Wandering Rabbi — An Institute of Southern Jewish Life rabbi travels through Mississippi to help small Jewish communities survive. USA
Program 2
800 Jews From Our Town — Polish students uncover the history of what happened to the Jewish residents of their hometown during World War II. Poland
Etoile — Animation tells the story of a Jewish girl and her dog living in harmony with Muslim neighbors in Morocco until anti-Semitism surges. Israel
In Our Eyes — A student film explores words related to tolerance. USA
Josef and Aimée — Two Jewish orphans and a talking caterpillar try to stay connected while hiding from the Nazis in southern France. Canada
A Tale of Slander — Puppets play out a story of lashon hara while searching for a good kosher meal in Jewish Eastern Europe. Israel
Zone A — A boy in Tel Aviv finds that his home is a battlefield between his parents while it also serves as a shelter from Iraqi Scud attacks in 1991. Israel
Program 3
The Divorce — A rabbi forces a couple to hold a divorce party before approving their split. United Kingdom
In the Footsteps of Regina Jonas — American denominations’ first female rabbis travel to Germany to learn about the original female rabbi, ordained in Berlin on the eve of World War II. Czech Republic, Germany
Jerry-atric: One Comic’s 77-Year Climb to the Top of the Bottom — Jerry Farber and friends trace the Atlanta comedian’s life and career. USA
Nazi Boots — A Polish Holocaust survivor recalls the loss of her family. United Kingdom
Si Minor — Music crosses the line dividing Arab residents of Nablus from an Israeli soldier standing watch. Israel
Within Thy Walls — Stop-action animation depicts the pre-Shabbat hubbub in Jerusalem. Israel
Program 4
Blue Like Me: The Art of Siona Benjamin — A woman from India’s Jewish community works in blue to create art about religion, mythology and pop culture. India, USA
Dear G-d — A guard answers the written requests a woman leaves in the Western Wall. Israel
Holy City — An animated vigilante rabbi trying to rid Jerusalem of immodesty gets his comeuppance. Israel
Showfolk — Show-business veterans recall their careers from their Hollywood retirement home. USA
The Train — Eli Wallach, in his last film, shares a story of Holocaust survival and its lessons about life and family. USA
Wiener Blut — The Strauss waltz provides the soundtrack for an animated journey into Croatia’s fall into Nazism. Croatia
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