Dan Buffa, Special For The Jewish Light
• Published October 13, 2022
“What if I told you that your family was murdered for no reason at all? Now, ask yourself, what would you do?”
This heart-piercing question opens the Holocaust revenge drama “Plan A,” which is based on a true story.
That special brand...
CATE MARQUIS, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published March 2, 2022
Joyful is a good word for Bernadette Wegenstein’s delightful, inspiring biographical documentary “The Conductor,” about Marin Alsop, the first woman conductor of a major American orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. It is still an exceedingly...
CATE MARQUIS, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published February 28, 2022
Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Colin Powell, Carl Reiner and Elliot Gould were all fans of the Automat, the iconic automated cafeterias that dominated New York and Philadelphia in the first half of the 20th century.
Lisa Hurwitz's delightful, enlightening...
CATE MARQUIS, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published February 22, 2022
In the delightfully funny Israeli comedy "Greener Pastures," a retiree named Dov (Shlomo Bar-Aba) feels like he has been put out to pasture, and not a greener one. The widower grandpa in his 70s is dismayed that his daughter, who lives out of town, has...
Cate Marquis, Special For The Jewish Light
• Published February 21, 2022
The annual St. Louis Jewish Film Festival shifts to a new season, returning March 6 -13 with an exciting lineup of films, including documentaries on an array of subjects plus comedy and drama narrative films.
The 27th annual festival, which will be...
"A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all," is a popular old adage, and one the St. Louis Jewish Film Festival is adhering to, as organizers announce the 27th annual festival will be held virtually this spring, March 6 – 13, instead...
DAN. BUFFA, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
• Published June 4, 2021
Aharon (Shai Avivi) is devoted to his young adult son, Uri (Noam Imber). Some would argue he's too devoted. Uri is autistic and has lived inside a gentle cocoon of routine and comfort, one built with precious care and regard by Aharon. But at what point...
CATE MARQUIS, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published June 4, 2021
“Love It Was Not” is a Shoah survivor’s story about a young woman who was at Auschwitz, but it is also a strange tale about obsession, love and survival. The documentary opens with an old photo. We see a picture of a healthy, pretty, young woman...
The late Anthony Bourdain once said that “food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a start.” “Breaking Bread” not only begins with this quote, but director Beth Elise Hawk builds on the sentiment by showing how preparing and enjoying...
CATE MARQUIS, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
• Published May 31, 2021
This is the Jewish Film Festival’s 26th year, but its first without Zelda Sparks, who retired as director of cultural arts at the Jewish Community Center. Sparks helped start the festival and steered it for 25 years, and this year’s festival is...
The St. Louis Jewish Film Festival returns in June for its 26th year, again offering wonderful films from around the world.
Like last year, the festival is online, but it is back in its usual early summer slot and is taking place June 6-13. The...
BY CATE MARQUIS, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
• Published February 4, 2021
Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard and Jim Broadbent headline “Six Minutes to Midnight,” a Hitchcock-styled British historical thriller set in the summer of 1939 at a finishing school for German girls on the southeastern coast of England as World War II looms.The...
