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March 9, 2007
Time passing, Jewish style
Two movies in this year's festival are inspired by Woody Allen.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
The 2007 Vancouver International Jewish Film Festival starts March
22. Of the many offerings, here are two that have been screened
by the Jewish Independent.
Waiting for nothing
It is hard to make short stories engaging and relevant. Often, they
lack sufficient character development and intellectual depth to
communicate a meaningful message or be a worthwhile diversion. So,
too, it must be difficult to make a short film that is both entertaining
and has a purpose.
Waiting for Woody Allen, directed by Michael Rainin, attempts
to parody Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, a rather long play
wherein nothing much happens, but which includes some insightful
"one-liners" about human existence. While Rainin's short
film offers a few laughs, it is hard to determine what to make of
it, what wisdom it imparts.
Mendel and Yossel are two Chassidic Jews who are disillusioned with
their therapists, Judaism and their friendship (though it's unclear
why). They wait in Central Park for the secular, neurotic Woody
Allen to come by and give meaning to their lives. At one point in
their discussion, they decide that, the next day, they will give
up their faith – not in possibly meeting Allen, but their religion.
It's an unsatisfying ending, even though those who have seen Beckett's
play will know that the couple's next discussion will sound very
much like the one they had that day; i.e. they won't be renouncing
Judaism any time soon.
As tedious as some may consider Waiting for Godot, its exploration
of malaise and life in general is much more fulfilling. A 15-minute
short doesn't do either subject justice, nor does it provide enough
time to properly make fun of them.
Waiting for Woody Allen precedes Fired, which is about
a woman who begins a journey of self-exploration after being fired
by Allen from a play. The two films screen on Saturday, March 24,
starting at 5:30 p.m., at VanCity International Theatre, 1181 Seymour
St.
Yiddish at the beach
A blighted community. That's not a phrase that many would associate
with Miami Beach, but it was used to describe the neighborhood in
the late 1960s. Development of the beach's northern section was
taking off, while that of South Beach lagged behind, in large part
because of its numerous elderly, poor residents, many of whom were
Jewish. The people who had contributed so much to Miami's and Miami
Beach's cultural history were being thrust aside for tourism dollars
- monster hotels, high-end shops and disco clubs.
David Weintraub's documentary Where Neon Goes to Die begins
with images of destruction – the implosion of the Chief Hotel,
a derelict Wolfie's Coffee Shop and Restaurant – interspersed
with footage of Jewish senior citizens singing Yiddish folk songs
at Lummus Park. They provide proof of the once-vibrant Yiddish cultural
community that has been erased from the landscape and almost from
our memories. According to the film, within the space of 15 years,
75 per cent of the beach's Yiddish cultural community, more than
30,000 people, were gone, as were most of the poor Cubans who resided
there.
Weintraub, who is the director of the Dora Teitelbaum Centre for
Yiddish Culture, uses archival photos, old TV interviews and newspaper
clippings to show how the region has changed from the postwar period,
when Yiddish reigned, to present-day South Beach, where little of
the culture remains. He also interviews performers who were part
of the area's Yiddish theatre and music scene, members of Jewish
organizations that have a long history in Miami Beach, as well as
historians from various universities. Together, they provide a very
interesting historical portrait from which Weintraub tries to glean
a lesson.
Almost a third of Where Neon Goes to Die deals with the concept
of cultural preservation as it relates to American Jews, of course,
but to other communities as well. It also touches upon the perseverance
of Yiddish, a language and culture that has, since 1808, been predicted
to be nearing the end of its life.
There are some cheesy moments in this documentary, as when Weintraub
takes a handful of sand and asks viewers whether we want to let
our history run through our hands and be lost forever. But, such
minor criticism aside, Where Neon Goes to Die is well-constructed
and entertaining – it will make you nostalgic, even if you've
never been to Miami Beach.
Where Neon Goes to Die screens on Monday, March 26, 1 p.m.,
at Fifth Avenue Cinemas, 2110 Burrard St.
To get tickets
Individual movie tickets for the film festival, which runs till
April 1, are $12.50 ($8 for students/seniors). A Première
Pass that includes all the films, including the opening and closing
events, is $175. For more information, call 604-266-0245 or visit
www.vijff.com.
As well, the Jewish Family Service Agency has tickets for those
on limited incomes. For more information on Tickets to Inclusion,
call the JFSA at 604-257-5151.
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