The 25th Jerusalem Jewish Film Week will be held from December 9 – 14, 2023 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. In recognition of these complex and challenging times, the film week will take place in a more modest version, with awareness and sensitivity. There will be several special events focusing on issues relevant to the war. The program will include over 30 films from 15 different countries relating to issues of Jewish identity, history, and culture, as well as encounters with filmmakers, lectures, and panel discussions. Evacuees from the North and South are invited to all Jewish Film Week events free of charge. Roni Mahadav-Levin, CEO of the Jerusalem Cinematheque is the Director of Jewish Film Week, and Artistic Director is Daniela Turgeman. The nights will be bright with the traditional Hannukah candle lightings.
Opening night will feature James Hawe’s film One Life, which tells the dramatic true story of Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved many hundreds of children from the Nazis, helping them escape from Prague to England. Anthony Hopkins stars as Sir Winton, who looks back on his past, when he came to Czechoslovakia as a young stockbroker in the late 1930s and assisted in the rescue of 669 children. The film stars Johnny Flynn as the young Winton, as well as Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, and Lena Olin. The screening will take place on Saturday, December 9th at 19:30, in the presence of filmmakers, diplomats, and other esteemed guests. The film will be released at a future date by Lev Cinema. Tickets for opening night and other events are available on the Jerusalem Cinematheque website.
The program will include documentaries, Israeli film concerning contemporary social issues, rare archival films, restored classics, and Israeli short films.
One of the week’s special events will be a screening of Days of Pick, the documentary on the life and career of legendary Israeli pop star Svika Pick, directed by Shai Lahav and Ron Omer. The screening will take place on Saturday, December 9th at 11:00, and will open the 30th season of the Concerto of Cinema series. Created in collaboration with the Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem, the Saturday morning meetings include the screening of a film as well as a lecture on the topic and a short concert. On the 9th, Professor Michael Wolpe will discuss Svika Pick, the artist and the myth, and the concert will include songs by Pick.
