19TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
December 4 - 14
Screenings at AFI Silver: December 6 - 11

All films are DC premieres! AFI Silver is proud once again to host screenings for the annual Washington Jewish Film Festival (WJFF). Special thanks to Susan Barocas of the WJFF and Josh Ford of the Washington DC Jewish Community Center (DCJCC).

Tickets for all screenings can be purchased ONLY online at www.wjff.org or www.boxofficetickets.com or by calling 800.494.8497. Tickets will go on sale November 19: general admission $10, students and seniors $9. Tickets will only be available at the AFI Silver Theatre on the day of the show. ALL FILMS NOT RATED.

Presented by the Washington DCJCC's Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts. Co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel and Washington Jewish Week.

ONE DAY YOU'LL UNDERSTAND
[Plus tard]

Victor, a man in his 40s, tries to make sense of his life, especially his family's experience during the Holocaust. His mother Rivka, played perfectly by acclaimed actress Jeanne Moreau, is an old lady living in an apartment full of beautiful antiques, overwhelming memorabilia and painful memories of France during the Nazi occupation. The film moves seamlessly from present to past and back as mother, son and other family members explore and avoid experiences and emotions never openly confronted. A heart-wrenching and complicated history of one family and the Holocaust, the beautifully-shot film tells a universal story of suffering and war. Co-sponsored by: Embassy of France and Alliance Francaise.

DIR/SCR/PROD Amos Gitai; SCR Dan Franck and Marie-Jose Sanselme based on the autobiography by Jerome Clements; PROD Nicole Collet, Serge Moati. France/Germany, 2008, color, 90 min. In French with English subtitles. NOT RATED

Saturday, December 6, 7:30

STRANGERS

A case of two travelers with mixed up backpacks on a Berlin train turns into a modern-day, sensual and political Romeo and Juliet. When Eyal, an Israeli living on a kibbutz, and Rana, a Palestinian living in exile in France, meet to exchange backpacks, the attraction is unavoidable. As the romance grows from World Cup Soccer in Berlin to a reunion in Paris, so does the awareness of political and cultural differences. The nearly flawless script is played with just the right amount of awkward charm and passion by Liron Levo (KIPPER, MUNICH) and Lubna Azabal (winner, Wolgin Award for Most Promising Actress, Jerusalem Film Festival 2007 for this film). The film brings to life an unlikely scenario that ultimately highlights hope in the face of constant conflict. Co-sponsored by: Embassy of Israel.

DIR/SCR Guy Nattiv, Erez Tadmor; PROD Tami Leon, Chilik Michaeli, Avraham Pirchi. Israel/France, 2007, color, 85 min. In Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, and Aramaic with English subtitles. NOT RATED

Saturday, December 6, 9:30

LEMON TREE
[Etz Limon]

Based on a true story, middle-aged Palestinian widow Salma, played flawlessly by Hiam Abass (THE VISITOR, PARADISE NOW, THE SYRIAN BRIDE), lives to take care of her lemon grove, once the pride of her family. But when the Israeli Minister of Defense builds a house on the other side of Salma's fence, her lemon trees become a "security risk" and are ordered destroyed. Salma fights back, taking her case all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court. Her struggle is noticed by the defense minister's wife (Rona Lipaz Michael), lonely in her beautiful new house as her husband's political career skyrockets. The strong and universal bond that connects two women from close, but very different worlds is human counterbalance to the stark political undertakings of this arresting film. Co-sponsored by: Embassy of France and Alliance Francaise.

DIR/SCR/PROD Eran Riklis; SCR Suha Arraf. Israel/Germany/France, 2008, color, 106 min. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. NOT RATED

Sunday, December 7, 4:30

LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER

Marcelo, an actor and a single parent, has emigrated from Argentina to Israel with his 11-year-old daughter Lucy. He finally finds the perfect job as an actor on an Israeli soap opera. The only catch is that he must speak Hebrew flawlessly and without any Spanish accent. Enter Anat, an Orthodox Jewish woman who teaches Hebrew. Unfortunately, she is neither fond of Marcelo, nor his choice of work. Multiple layers of comedy ensue, as both Marcelo and Anat get caught up in each other's lives, with a little help from their "families."

DIR/SCR Leonid Prudovsky; SCR Erez Kav-El; PROD Yohanan Weller, Freddy Ziscrout. Israel, 2007, color, 52 min. In Hebrew with English subtitles. NOT RATED

With:

A GREEN CHARIOT
In Person: Writer/director Gilly Goldschmidt

Sasha, a 22-year-old Russian immigrant just wants is to live an Orthodox Jewish life in Israel. Changing his name to Ya'ir, he separates himself from his father and his friends to delve into his new life. But after the death of his mother, he receives a package from his aunt and his world is shaken. In this touching drama, Sasha/Ya'ir realizes he must confront his past to ensure his future. Co-sponsored by: Embassy of Israel.

DIR/SCR Gilad Goldschmidt; SCR Ori Ravid, Uzi Weil; PROD Mosh Danon, Yifat Prestelnik. Israel, 2005, color, 48 min. In Hebrew with English subtitles. NOT RATED

Sunday, December 7, 7:00

TWO LIVES PLUS ONE
[Deux vies...plus une]
In Person: Director Idit Cebula

Eliane (Emmanuelle Devos, who also stars in ONE DAY YOU'LL UNDERSTAND, WJFF 2008), a devoted wife, mother and daughter, decides to follow her passion for writing and finds herself less willing to continue catering to the needs of her neurotic mother, old-fashioned husband and spoiled daughter. Eliane's personal growth and her gradual awakening to her own voice as a writer must withstand the stresses of the daily grind. She takes up smoking, learns to use a computer and spends a few late nights with a handsome colleague. The end result is an independent woman who takes charge of her own life, comes to terms with the needs of her family and begins to express herself through her art. Co-sponsored by: Embassy of France and Alliance Francaise.

DIR Idit Cebula; PROD François Kraus. France, 2007, color, 90 min. In French with English subtitles. NOT RATED

Thursday, December 11, 7:00