This year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), which marks the festival’s 25th anniversary, includes 50 features and 14 short films. With so many movies to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start.
The festival starts Feb. 19 and runs through March 16, so you still have plenty of time to get your viewing schedule settled. But if you need some help figuring out what to see, here are 10 movies that I’m looking forward to.
“Eid” (dir. Yousef Abo Madegem, Narrative Feature)
“Eid” comes from Bedouin filmmaker Yousef Abo Madegem, and follows its titular character (played by Shadi Mar’i) as he grapples with artistic freedom, childhood trauma, and an unwanted arranged marriage. The film did well at the Jerusalem Film Festival, and for his performance Mar’i was awarded Best Actor at the Israeli Academy Awards – one of the few Arab-Israeli actors to do so. I don’t want to give away too much about the story here, but this movie’s themes are complex and thorny, and I’m excited to see how Madegem portrays them on screen.
“From Darkness to Light” (dir. Eric Friedler and Michael Lurie, Documentary Feature)
Throughout his decades-long career, Jerry Lewis earned himself the moniker “The King of Comedy.” But as all comedians know, not every endeavor to make folks laugh is a successful one. In this case, it was catastrophic. “From Darkness to Light” includes new behind the scenes footage about the making of Lewis’ failed Holocaust film called “The Day the Clown Cried.” The movie starred Lewis (who also directed the film) as a German clown imprisoned by Nazis and manipulated into leading Jewish children to the gas chambers. Lewis was pretty embarrassed by this whole endeavor and never really talked about the project, so I’m excited for this documentary to shed new light on a lost point of Hollywood history.
“Full Support” (dir. Michal Cohen, Documentary Feature)
In a bra shop, all are created equal. Michal Cohen’s documentary “Full Support” centers on a boutique bra shop in Jaffa, exploring the connections between the women who shop there – women of different shapes, sizes and backgrounds. My hope is this documentary doesn’t just focus on the connections, but the divisions that foster the need for that connection in the first place. I think that will make the bonds that arise all the more powerful.
“Tatami” (dir. Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv, Narrative Feature)
Billed as both a sports movie and political thriller, “Tatami” centers on an Iranian judo athlete (Arienne Mandi) who is ordered by the Iranian government to forfeit her match against an Israeli competitor. The film is co-directed by Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv and Iranian filmmaker Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and it will be interesting to see how “Tatami” handles issues of human rights and women’s liberation in both countries.
“Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause” (dir. James L. Freedman, Documentary Feature)
From “Midnight Run,” to “The Heartbreak Kid,” to “The Great Muppet Caper,” Charles Grodin delivered laughs upon laughs to audiences throughout his long career. The actor passed away in 2021, but his legacy lives on with “Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause.” Grodin’s signature brand of humor was a brand all his own. I’m not sure what to expect beyond a tribute to a wonderful actor, but as long as there’s a treasure trove of clips to enjoy, I don’t see how I could have a bad time with this.
“Midas Man” (dir. Joe Stephenson, Narrative Feature)
Following a chaotic production period that started in November of 2019, “Midas Man,” a biopic about Brian Epstein (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), is finally here. Epstein managed The Beatles and was often called “the fifth Beatle,” helping the band along their meteoric rise to stardom. In addition to the pressures of his professional life, Epstein was also gay and kept that part of his life a secret from the public. I don’t know how much of Epstein’s life will be covered in this film, but I hope it attempts to step outside of the conventional biopic in whatever ways it can.
“Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round” (dir. Ilana Trachtman, Documentary Feature)
This documentary from filmmaker Ilana Trachtman follows a lesser-known pressure point in the American Civil Rights movement – the struggle at Glen Echo Amusement Park in Maryland. In the summer of 1960, students from Howard University and members of a Jewish community nearby joined forces, picketing outside of the theme park’s gates and demanding integration. When we talk about the Civil Rights movement, the same names tend to come up over and over again. I’m interested in how this documentary will bring new names to the table who haven’t necessarily had their stories told.
“Riefenstahl” (dir. Andres Veiel, Documentary Feature)
Leni Riefenstahl is perhaps the most controversial director in film history, her work lauded for its innovation, but also one of the signature examples of German propaganda during the Nazi era. This documentary explores Riefenstahl’s legacy, in particular her later attempts to cover up her work with the Nazis. Besides the basics, I don’t know too much about Riefenstahl, and I’ve never seen any of her work. I can’t wait to see what context and new information this movie provides.
“The Most Precious of Cargoes” (dir. Michel Hazanavicius, Narrative Feature)
This movie follows a Polish couple who take in a Jewish baby after the child is cast off from an Auschwitz-bound train. The story then cuts back and forth between the couple as they try to hide the existence of the child, and the child’s father’s experiences in the infamous death camp. This film features hand-drawn animation, which I have a real soft spot for, as well as a score from the wonderful Alexandre Desplat (“Little Women,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”)
“The Spoils” (dir. Jamie Kastner, Documentary Feature)
In 2018, a planned tribute to Max Stern – A German-born, Jewish art collector who fled Nazi persecution in the 1930s – at the Düsseldorf City Museum was postponed. What followed was a years-long dispute over ownership of stolen works. Nazis stealing artwork is a fairly well-known aspect of the Nazi era and World War II, but Jamie Kastern’s documentary focuses on the legal battles and ethical questions that emerged decades after the fact. I’m fascinated to see how the documentary explores modern solutions for this historical wrong.
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival will run from Feb. 19 to March 16. You can purchase tickets on AJFF’s website.
