HERE I LEARNED TO LOVE- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When brothers Avner and Itzik travel from Israel to their native Poland to find clues about their identities, they uncover emotional information about their parents, who were killed by the Nazis, and the three women who rescued them from death.”
3/1/13- A fairly good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment March 2nd, 2013
WAGNER AND ME- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Stephen Fry’s quest begins in southern Germany where he is granted unique access to Bayreuth’s legendary annual Wagner festival. In Switzerland he discovers the origins of Wagner’s masterpiece The Ring. In Bavaria he marvels at the fairytale castle inspired by Wagner’s music, and in St Petersburg learns why Wagner fascinated Russian audiences. But Fry also confronts the composer’s dark side. In Nuremberg he investigates how Hitler appropriated Wagner’s music, and in London meets a cellist who played in the prisoners’ orchestra at Auschwitz – where some of Fry’s relatives died. Animated by Fry’s trademark wit and intelligence and featuring a soundtrack of Wagner’s extraordinary music, “Wagner & Me” is a provocative yet enjoyable exploration of the life and legacy of one of history’s great geniuses.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
Add comment November 20th, 2012
ORCHESTRA OF EXILES- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This inspiring documentary focuses on Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, who rescued hundreds of Jews from the holocaust and founded the globally renowned orchestra that would eventually become the Israel Philharmonic.”
10/26/12- Fairly good review in today’s NY Times and by most professional critics as well. Audiences have uniformly enjoyed it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
5/24/13- I liked this documentary very much as it once again showed the will of the Jewish people to not only live but to thrive as well. TRDB.
9/15/13- I saw this movie again in preparation for a talk I’m giving in Florida in October. I liked it just as much. TRDB.
Add comment October 27th, 2012
THE OTHER DREAM TEAM- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “As the U.S. basketball “Dream Team” took the 1992 Olympics by storm, the scrappy team from the newly independent Lithuania sought only to defeat Russia. Their tale involves personal freedom, the end of communism and, unexpectedly, the Grateful Dead.”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
9/28/12- Today’s NY Times basically called this documentary informative but “drained of drama.” TRDB.
5/18/13- I liked the movie very much as it used basketball essentially as secondary to their quest for freedom. TRDB.
Add comment September 11th, 2012
THE LION OF JUDAH- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recounting painful memories from his past, Holocaust survivor Leo Zisman leads a group of young people through Poland — and the remains of Auschwitz. Along the way, they learn that anti-Semitism still lingers in the region.”
8/10/12- A so-so review in today’s NY Times and from others as well. TRDB.
Add comment August 10th, 2012
THE GREEN WAVE- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “THE GREEN WAVE is a powerful film documenting the populist protests in Iran following the suspicious victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over progressive candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in the Iranian presidential elections on June 12, 2009. Cell phone videos posted on the internet, Twitter messages, as well as animated blog posts and interviews with prominent human rights advocates and exiled Iranians bear witness to the brutal attacks by government militia in their efforts to squelch the protests that followed. THE GREEN WAVE is a highly contemporary chronicle of the Green Revolution, and a memorial for all of those who believed in freedom and lost their lives for it.”
8/17/12-Very good reviews in general and a good one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment July 28th, 2012
MIS HUMAN SECRET WEAPON- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A secret unit of the U.S. Army during World War II, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) was almost comprised of Nisei, second generation Japanese American, military men who had pledged absolute allegiance to the United States at a time when most were facing social and political inequalities. This film will explore an untold chapter in Japanese American history and have the audience think about the values of “Peace”. It describes how the MIS contributed to America’s victory and to Japan’s recovery after the World War II ended. This film is the third and final installment of the trilogy centered on Japanese American history during WWII, following “Toyo’s Camera – Japanese American History during WWII” (2008) and “442: Live with Honor, Die with Dignity” (2010).”
4/6/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment April 6th, 2012
THE LOVING STORY- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This riveting documentary profiles Mildred and Richard Loving, who were arrested hours after their 1958 wedding for breaking Virginia’s laws against interracial marriage. In 1967, their case was heard before the Supreme Court and changed the nation.”
1/31/12- I saw this at a special showing with the director Nancy Biurski at the Jacob Burns Film Center. A great documentary with an impressive trove of archival footage. The movie was thought provoking and has analogies to life today in various parts of society both here and abroad. TRDB.
Add comment February 1st, 2012
INSIDE HANA’S SUITCASE- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fascinating documentary traces the quest of a group of Japanese schoolchildren and their teacher, Fumiko Ishioka, as they try to uncover the history of a suitcase donated to the Tokyo Holocaust Museum and inscribed with the name “Hanna Brady.” Discovering that 13-year-old Hanna was a Czechoslovakian Jew interred in a concentration camp, the group finds her brother, George, in Toronto, who shares his memories of Hanna.” Great reviews. TRDB.
1/30/12- I know that this film got rave reviews but I found it just OK. A moving story but I felt that there were way too many re-enacted scenes by actors. The movie is really about school children learning about the Holocaust and about hate in general. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment December 27th, 2011
GARBO: THE SPY- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “Using interviews, archival footage and clips from old movies, director Edmon Roch tells the fascinating tale of Juan Pujol, a Spaniard who, under the codename Garbo, worked as a double agent during World War II and helped the Allies win the war.”
11/18/11- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
1/4/12- Just saw this in Florida and I liked it. TRDB. At the Theater.
Add comment November 18th, 2011