The Chosen Films

To Dust (2018) This 2018 film, directed by Shawn Snyder, stars Géza Röhrig and Matthew Broderick, in a dramedy that explores the messiness of grief and loss. In this solo, quarantine episode, Aaron name-checks an ancient rabbinic commentary, shoe horns it into a discussion of his life, but fails to do so regarding the movie.    Next Time and Thank You Additional episodes will be forthcoming eventually, but my family is welcoming an new child into the ranks, so that is likely to slow things down even further. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro! Check out their unique brand of klezmer on their website and bandcamp pages!

The Band's Visit (2007) This 2007 film, directed by Eran Kolirin and starring Sasson Gabai, as well as the late Ronit Elkabetz, is the basis for the acclaimed Broadway musical currently touring the country. This is a lovely, quiet film that generally lives up to the hype around it. Do you agree?     Next Time and Thank You Next time, we'll be watching To Dust (2018), a recent film that looks as if it will be an extended meditation on death and loss (subjects that the films we've watched have touched on before). I plan on reading "Thanatopsis" to prepare. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro! Check out their unique brand of klezmer on their website and bandcamp pages!

Maktub (2017) For this episode, we watched Maktub, directed by Oded Raz and starring Guy Amir and Hanan Savyon. This is an unusual film for us - an action-comedy with wide appeal, at least in Israel. Does it have blockbuster appeal here in the U.S.?    Next Time and Thank You Next time, we'll be watching The Band's Visit (2007), the film upon which the new musical is based. By all accounts, the film is a magical, fish-out-of-water dramedy - but we've been misled by good publicity before. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro! Check out their unique brand of klezmer on their website and bandcamp pages!

 Hummus! The Movie (2015) & The Cakemaker (2017) Today's episode is a double feature focused on food, much delayed due to audio capture problems involving Facetime (I blame my battered, much-abused phone). Oren Rosenfeld directs Hummus! The Movie, a documentary that focuses on three Israeli restaurateurs and their relationship to hummus, and Ofir Raul Grazier directs The Cakemaker, a drama that revolves around a love triangle that spans Europe and Israel and explores the loneliness of loss (and starring Tim Kalkhof and Sarah Adler (of Meduzot and other films!)). Go for a bowl of hummus over the documentary and eat a piece of cake while watching the drama, if only to soak up your tears (but listen to this episode for both films - we're clever!) Next Time and Thank You Next time, we'll watch Maktub (2017), an action-comedy film directed by Oded Raz and starring Guy Amir and Hanan Savyon. Different fare from what we usually watch that has been billed as an Israeli blockbuster. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro! Check out their unique brand of klezmer on their website and bandcamp pages!

Footnote (2011) For this episode, we watched Footnote, directed by Joseph Cedar and starring Shlomo Bar-Aba and Lior Ashkenazi. Is this film like a haggadah found in the Talmud - rich and multi-layered - or does it only look that way? Is knowledge the primary output of academia or is it fame? We debate this and other issues as we do a close reading of the film. Typically, we use these movies as a jumping off point for a broader discussion. This time, in deference to the story, which revolves around two modern Talmudic scholars, we dig in.   Next Time and Thank You Next time, we'll watch Hummus! The Movie (2015), a documentary directed by Oren Rosenfeld that promises to show us how this delicious dip has transformed culture around the world and transcended national borders. Can hummus help us achieve world peace while also providing a healthy alternative to the fried, breaded appetizers that dominate menus in America? Watch with us and find out. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro! Check out their unique brand of klezmer on their website and bandcamp pages!

Operation Finale (2018) This time around we watched Operation Finale (2018), directed by Chris Weitz and starring Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley. As we noted in our last post, this is the latest film to tackle the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina by Mossad agents in 1960. Does it do its source material justice? When art involves the Holocaust, what are our standards for it and does it need to work harder to justify itself? We discuss. Next Time and Thank You Next time, we'll watch Footnote (2011), directed by Joseph Cedar and starring Lior Ashkenazi, which focuses on a father-son pair of Talmudic scholars and their rivalry (something we can all relate to).  Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro; check out their website and bandcamp pages!

Humor Me (2017) In lieu of Menashe, we watched a relatively light-hearted comedy about a divorced, middle-aged playwright, played by Jemaine Clement, who moves in with his elderly father (played by Elliott Gould) when he's down on his luck. Written and directed by Sam Hoffman, this film meditates on grief over unrealized promise and unsatsifying family relationships. In subject matter, it takes its cues from Wes Anderson in films like The Royal Tenenbaums, but subs in homages to Jewish jokes of old for Anderson's dry humor (not surprising, given that Hoffman created the "Old Jews Telling Jokes" series - which I hadn't quite put together when we recorded). We liked it! Sort of. Next Time and Thank You  Next time, we'll watch Operation Finale (2018) directed by Chris Weitz and starring Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley; it's the latest film to tackle the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina by Mossad agents in 1960. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro; check out their website and bandcamp pages! 

Life You Think You Own It (2016) This 5-minute documentary, directed by Ellie Lobovits (IMDb link), and available on YouTube through the Jewish Film Institute, explores themes of identity, art, and mortality through the life and writing of Adrienne Wolfert. This film operates like good lyric poetry, conjuring a depth of feeling out of a few well-chosen words and images. Watch it below!   Next Time and Thank You Next time we'll watch Menashe (2017) (IMDb link), directed by Joshua Z Weinstein (IMDb link). We're aiming for summer 2018. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro; check out their website and bandcamp pages!  Aaron

The Wedding Plan (2016) or La'avor et Hakir This Israeli film, directed by Rama Burshtein and starring Noa Koler, is a puzzle. Its rom-com exterior conceals a film of surprising depth and feeling. As promised, we bring on our spouses to help us decipher this marital mystery. FYI, this will be our last episode until November 2017 (my wife Esther and I just had a baby girl). L'Shanah Tovah! Next Time and Thank You Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us play their music as our intro and outro; check out their website and bandcamp pages!  Aaron

Dough (2015) We have fun discussing this British buddy comedy directed by John Goldschmidt and starring Jonathan Pryce and Jerome Holder. Along the way, we also discuss the generous rating standards of Jewish film festivals.   Next Time and Thank You We make good on our plan to watch The Wedding Plan (2016) and have a group discussion with our spouses. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for letting us use their music as our intro and outro. Check out their website and bandcamp page. Aaron

Demon (2015) In this episode, we review Demon (IMDb link), directed by the late Marcin Wrona.   It tells the story of a young man possessed by a dybbuk (which in this case is the spirit of a Jewish woman who was murdered in Poland at some point during the last century). We discuss the film's treatment of anti-semitism in Poland, the Shoah, and Poland's complicated past as oppressor and victim. Next Time and Thank You We review Dough (IMDb link), a 2016 British comedy directed by John Goldschmidt. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for allowing us to use their music in our podcast. Check out their bandcamp and webpage.  Aaron

Hester Street (1975) This film, directed by Joan Micklin Silver, is oft-discussed as an American, Jewish classic. We discuss the film's central interest: the tension between assimiliation and tradition felt by Jewish immigrants in the 19th Century. Is assimilation the evil portrayed in the film?  Next Time and Thank You We leave the seventies behind and review Demon (IMDb link), a 2015 film directed by Marcin Wrona. Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs for allowing us to use their music in our podcast. Check out their bandcamp and webpage.  Aaron

  Presenting Princess Shaw (2015) Samantha Montgomery (Princess Shaw) is a talented singer/songwriter and kind soul whose personality gleams throughout Ido Haar's 2015 documentary (the film we reviewed in lieu of Hester Street because it recently played at the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema). The film chronicles Montgomery's day-to-day existence in New Orleans and Atlanta, as well her long-distance collaborations with Kutiman, the Israeli visual artist and musician, which eventually lead her to international travel and fame. Listen to Shoshanah and I gush over Montgomery, talk about her YouTube channel, and discuss whether Kutiman is an opportunist, a sensitive artist, or the victim of Haar's artistic choices as a director.   Next Time and Thank You As promised, we'll move onto Hester Street (1975) (IMDb link), directed by Joan Micklin Silver. This is yet another reputed "Jewish classic," though I hear good things (shout out to Mitchell Brown over at The Discreet Bourgeois). Thank you again to the Klezmer Rebs who continue to graciously let us use their music as our theme song.  Their website is located here, and their bandcamp site is here. Listen to them!  Aaron  

The Frisco Kid (1979) After a long summer hiatus, we review this Jewish-American "classic," directed by Robert Aldrich, and starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford in an adventure across The Wild West.  It's a road movie, a buddy movie, and a rabbi movie.  And, at least in some circles, it has a reputation for being an excellent movie. We try to puzzle out why The Frisco Kid is so beloved. Is it the slapstick comedy? The charm of two charismatic actors? The story's emphasis on the value of human life? Or is it that somehow, after watching the movie, we know that everything is going to be OK?   Next Time and Thank You We aim to have the next episode out by the end of November or early December.  The Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema is in full swing right now, and in honor of that, we're going to review Presenting Princess Shaw (2015) (IMDb link) by Ido Haar (it's playing at the festival).  Then, in the following month, we'll move onto Hester Street (1975) (IMDb link) by Joan Micklin Silver (as we planned to before realizing the festival would be in town).  Thank you as always to the Klezmer Rebs who continue to graciously let us use their music as our theme song.  Their website is located here and this is their bandcamp site.  Check them out! Aaron

    The Golem (1920) This German film, co-directed by Paul Wegener (he also plays the eponymous golem) and Carl Boese, loosely follows the Golem legend associated with Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (also known as the Maharal), who lived and wrote in Prague in the 16th Century. Shoshanah and I agree that the film is beautiful. Where we differ is in determining whether the film is also sinsister. It's clearly an inaccurate portrait of Jewish religious philosophy and practice, but is it anti-semitic? Weigh in on the debate! Next Time and Thank You Next time, we'll continue journeying through the world of classic Jewish(?) films with The Frisco Kid, a 1979 film directed by Robert Aldrich (and starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford) about a rabbi trekking through the Wild West on his way to San Francisco. As always, thanks to the Klezmer Rebs out of New Zealand for graciously allowing us to use the radiata mix of their song, "Yishama-o-rama," as our theme music. Check out their website or bandcamp page. Aaron

Everything Is Illuminated (2005) Few of us are as obviously obsessed with the past as Jonathan Safran Foer, the protagonist of writer/director Liev Schreiber's 2005 film. Except maybe Jonathan Safran Foer, real-life author of the 2002 novel, Everything Is Illuminated, also starring Safran Foer as one of its protagonists. Confused by this ouroboros of fact and fiction? Join us as we examine its braid and knit our own family histories into its weave.   Amichai - Parting Note As an addendum to this episode's discussion about memory, we'd like to point you to a small portion of a much larger poem entitled What Has Always Been by the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai. It's found in this collection, as well as at least one other.   The stanza below speaks about the dangers of diving too deply into the past; we may drown in the details of history without truly understanding what they mean (if they have meaning at all). Amichai's invention of a "Field Guide to Human Beings" beautifully evokes this dilemma. We catalog and we catalog and we catalog, but it's no guarantee that we understand or that we fill our "empty heart."   2 Now two generations of forgetting have passed and the first generation of remembering has come. Woe to us that we have already come to remember because memories are the hard shell over an empty heart. Soon people will walk about the fields and cities and like nature lovers holding a Field Guide to Plants, they will hold a Field Guide to Human Beings. And they will call out to one another: Look, I found it, I wasn't mistaken, here are the distinguishing features, the typical color of eyes and of hair, the characteristic smile, thescent and the name, this one was a friend, a friend of a friend, that one a woman from long ago, this one is father-shaped, that one is me-shaped and you-shaped, when are you in bloom when do you wither, this is the scientific name,that's the common name among friends and lovers, this is a name without a man, and this, a man without a name. And that's the way it was.   Next Episode and Thank You  We'd love to hear feedback and thoughts; our e-mail address is chosenfilmspodcast@gmail.com.   Next month, we'll review The Golem (IMDb link), a 1920 film from the silent era directed by Paul Wegener and Carl Boese. Of course, many thanks to the Klezmer Rebs out of New Zealand for graciously allowing us to use the radiata mix of their song,"Yishama-o-rama," as our theme music. Check out their website or Bandcamp page.   Aaron

Meduzot (2007) How does a person continue to seek new experiences and relationships that fulfill them when, despite their high hopes, it all appears to be "dogshit and jellyfish" (in the words of one character in the film)? This 2007 Israeli film, co-directed by Shira Geffen and her husband, Etgar Keret, follows three women in Tel Aviv over the course of a few days as they wrestle with the intricacies of this conflict. We discuss each character's contribution to this theme, as well as the film's surreal, whimsical style.      Next Episode and Thank You Next episode (end of February), we'll be discussing Everything is Illuminated (IMDb link), the 2005 adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's break-out novel of the same name. It promises to be a good discussion, as I enjoy the film more than the book, and Shoshanah doesn't understand how this is possible.  Once more, many thanks to the Klezmer Rebs out of New Zealand for graciously allowing us to use the radiata mix of their song, "Yishama-o-rama," as our theme music. Check out at their their website or Bandcamp page. Please add us on iTunes! We'd love to hear feedback and thoughts. Our e-mail address is chosenfilmspodcast@gmail.com. Aaron  

Farewell Herr Schwartz (2014) We're back. In director Yael Reuveny's first feature-length film, she explores her family's complicated relationship to the Holocaust through a series of interviews and personal reflections. Her grandmother's and great uncle's tragic Holocaust experiences are at the core of the film, and Reuveny devotes a sizeable amount of time to investigating them. The other half of the film catalogues the ways in which those tragedies shaped the lives of Reuveny's Israeli family, as well as the lives of her German cousins (her great uncle's children and grandchildren). We discuss the film's bright spots and shortcomings as it explores its themes, using our bubbes as a guide, and reflect on our own particular Jewish identities.   Next Episode and Thank You Next episode (end of January), we'll be discussing Meduzot (Jellyfish) (IMDb link), a 2007 film co-directed by Shira Geffen and Israeli superstar Etgar Keret. Thanks again to the Klezmer Rebs out of New Zealand for graciously allowing us to use a remix of their song "Yishama-o-rama" as our theme music. Check them out at their website or Bandcamp page.   We hope that you'll add us on iTunes or listen to us here; we'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts. Our e-mail address is chosenfilmspodcast@gmail.com (or feel free to write comments here).  Correction Apologies; I butchered the pronunciation of “Łódź" (a city in Poland). Shoshanah, luckily, did not.   Aaron

The Farewell Party (2014) Regardless of whether a film has merit, it usually makes for a good conversation with friends; this podcast is a seat at the table for those conversations. Not being terribly familiar with either the Jewish and Israeli films of the past eighty years or the present, we're here to explore (and take you along for the ride).  Our first film is The Farewell Party, directed by Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon. This film revolves around a group of elderly friends (located in Israel) dealing with questions about the propriety of euthanasia, the loss of dignity, and the specter of imminent death. But as our conversation reveals, its also about the depth of feeling that can be achieved, even in such circumstances. Shoshanah fills in the gaps with respect to Jewish perspective(s) on euthanasia and the related question of when we are obligated to extend life (the film doesn't explore these issues directly). Next Episode and Thank You Next episode, we'll be discussing Farewell, Herr Schwarz (IMDb link), a 2014 documentary by Yael Reuveny. Thank you so much to the Klezmer Rebs out of New Zealand for graciously allowing us to use the radiata mix of their song "Yishama-o-rama" as our theme music. The Rebs' take on Klezmer music is fantastic. Check them out at their websiteor Bandcamp page. We hope that you'll add us on iTunes or listen to us here. We'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts. Our e-mail address is chosenfilmspodcast@gmail.com. Correction The Naomi Shemer song in the film, "B'eretz Lahadam," was first published in 1975. Aaron