A Recap of Rewind The Documentary — #AJFF20

A few nights ago, I had the privilege of seeing an unforgettably chilling, yet triumphant documentary called Rewind at the 2020 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival! Rewind is a rather disturbing documentary about a young Jewish-American man named Sasha Joseph Neulinger who finds himself combing through an innumerable collection of family videos recorded by his dad. This now adult Sasha, narrates his life as a child “in rewind” beginning from the early days where he was a seemingly happy young boy, bright-eyed and care-free to an angry child who speaks very casually about wanting to commit suicide. The film so appropriately titled gives its viewers a visual depiction of this very sad downward spiral with Sasha amidst secrets, family incest and namely, sexual/ psychological child abuse. The content of this film still speaks vividly to me since the that night’s screening and proves to be a totally gripping and heartfelt subject. Sasha takes us through the grueling pages of his life from A - Z and more importantly, he shows us what true courage and restored self-worth looks like. 

Following the screening that night, there was a highly informative Q&A session facilitated by Terri Bonoff (CEO JF&CS), Ula Zusman (JF&CS Nationally Certified Counselor), Dan Arnold (JF&CS Director of Clinical Services, & Dave Moody (Owner of CD Moody Construction Co., Sexual Abuse Survivor/ Spokesperson). The questions from the audience seemed to flow very divinely as the panelists provided us with the absolute best insight into victim/ abuser realities and they responded impeccably to our questions regarding the film and its sensitive content. Needless to say, I left out feeling more educated on the subject of sexual child abuse and inspired to be advocate for those so affected. 

For more, please visit www.rewinddocumentary.com.

Photos Courtesy of Dominic Helton

#AJFF2019 Opening Night Ceremony

Alas, the commencement to the 19th Annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival had arrived! And I know I say it often, but #AJFF is my absolute favorite film festival here in Atlanta! Every year I attend, I leave out totally impacted by all of the staff members serving so attentively from beginning to end and more importantly, the opening film selection. Prior to the start of the opening night film, SHOELACES, we were blessed to attend the Pre-Screening Gala in the elegantly large galleria space at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. That night, there was a slew of delicious tastings from local food artisans and restaurants. Among these were,

Baroque Culinary Services

C. Ellet’s Steakhouse

Cafe Sunflower

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Chai Yo Modern Thai

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

For All Occasions & More

Il Giallo Osteria & Bar

Imperial Fez Moroccan Restaurant

Kaiser’s Chophouse

Secreto Souther Kitchen & Bar

South City Kitchen Vinings

Watershed on Peachtree

Zafron Restaurant

28 Whole Gluten Free Bakery

Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters

Da Vinci’s Donuts

Tiff’s Treats Cookie Delivery

For the opening film selection, we watched  SHOELACES which is a very heart-warming film! Nominated for 8 Israeli Awards including Best Film, SHOELACES is a brilliant dramedy about an aging mechanic with major health issues including kidney failure who finds himself taking custody of his special-needs son that he abandoned as a child. The story unravels as the two face a series of very difficult challenges with having to learn each other while at the same time, dealing with their own physical and emotional struggles. Eventually, their relationship is beautifully restored as they learn to depend on one another and ultimately, forgive one another as they equally forgive themselves. There is a lot to be learned through this film and what we see in the end is, with practice and perseverance, we can work through the most difficult of situations and master them as efficiently as tying our shoelaces!

For more information about the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, please visit www.ajff.org.

The 19th Annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

The 19th Annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is set to kick off beginning next Wednesday, February 6 through Tuesday Feb 26, 2019. Opening night, film lovers and patrons of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) will view the Israeli dramedy called “Shoelaces”. This film is a story about the relationship between an aging mechanic and his full-energy special-needs son that he abandoned. The film provides a very realistic depiction of special-needs people, but in a way that is humorous and nature-sensible. Along with this film, the Atlanta Film Festival will present 180 screenings, with “an international collection of 76 films from 24 countries, at various Atlanta venues including Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, Regal Perimeter Pointe, Regal Atlantic Station, UA Tara Cinemas and The Woodruff Arts Center.

Since my first involvement with AJFF many years ago, I have grown to love and respect the overall AJFF experience and the great effort they put into bringing together such a host of gifted filmmakers, actors and creatives of the Jewish community. This is an event not be missed!

For more information and tickets, please visit www.ajff.org.

*Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

DRESS LIKE A GENT

Exclusive Interview with Filmmaker Pablo Solarz of The Last Suit

The conclusion of the 2018 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival climaxed with a heart-clinching screening of The Last Suit by Director Pablo Solarz of Argentina. The Last Suit is a narrative about a Jewish 88-year-old tailor by the name of Abraham who sets out on an exhausting journey to reunite with the man who saved his life during the time of the Holocaust. This film, chosen as the celebratory closing at #AJFF2018 was an experience that captivated its viewers as we journeyed with Abraham from trial to triumph. Prior to the screening, we got the chance to speak with Pablo Solarz and hear first hand about what it took to bring this phenomenal project to life.

When asked how he felt to have The Last Suit shown as the closing film for this year’s festival, Pablo says it’s “like a dream” and that he’s very grateful to share this film with such a largely diverse audience. Originally written in 2004, it took over 13+ years to bring such a dream to fruition. His hope is for people to leave with a feeling of humanity and brotherhood; that no one is superior or inferior to the other. Also, Pablo wants people to realize how important it is to keep the memory of such tragedies alive in order to gain consciousness as to what we still see happening today. Both written and directed by Pablo Solarz himself, to date, the film is being viewed in 6 countries including Argentina, Spain, France, Germany, Poland and the U.S.

For more information on the 2018 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and the film The Last Suit, please visit ajff.org.