In the Feb. 18 issue of the Jewish Light, our Page 1 story told you everything you needed to know about the 31st annual St. Louis Jewish Film Festival, which begins March 15. Nonetheless, we wanted to offer a friendly reminder about the festival’s kickoff event — because this one deserves its own spotlight.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., the Jewish Community Center will host the official preview event with a public screening of “Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness.” The documentary tells the story of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat in Lithuania who defied orders in 1939 and issued thousands of transit visas to Jewish refugees, helping them escape the Nazis.
The preview has grown into more than just a film screening. Filmmaker Diane Estelle Vicari will be in St. Louis for a post-film Q&A, giving audiences a chance to dig deeper into Sugihara’s legacy and the complicated courage behind his decision.
Before the film even rolls, the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko group will perform traditional Japanese drumming, adding a live cultural moment that connects directly to the story on screen.
The evening also ties into the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum’s current exhibition, “Resilience,” which explores Executive Order 9066 and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Sugihara’s act of defiance — and the human consequences of wartime policy — make the pairing especially timely.
Then, on March 15, the full festival opens at B&B Theatres Creve Coeur West Olive, with a two-film program: the documentary “For the Living,” about cyclists retracing a Holocaust survivor’s liberation route, followed by the historical drama “Nuremberg,” starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malek. An opening night buffet reception will be held between the screenings for ticket holders.
If you skimmed last week’s guide, this is your nudge. The festival doesn’t just start in March. It starts Feb. 24.
For tickets, passes and the full schedule, visit stljewishfilmfestival.org.
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