The Jewish Film Festival takes place at Landmark Theatres Plaza Frontenac June 8 to 12. The matinee and evening screenings focus on films with Jewish content or that touch on Jewish issues. These range from documentaries to biopics and dramas. I previewed three of the films, Aftermath, Before the Revolution and Kidon. Aftermath, a Polish film, is set in present-day Poland where two brothers discover in a very personal way how their parents’ generation dispossessed Jewish neighbors. It deals with the young men’s guilt over actions that preceded their birth and the derision they face even today as the townspeople try to stop them from revealing the truth.
Before the Revolution is an Israeli documentary about the thriving Israeli ex-pat community that lived and worked in Tehran, Iran, during the Shah’s reign. While he outwardly decried Israel an enemy, the Shah admired Israeli engineering and military expertise and secretly invited experts into his country to train Iranians and bolster Iran’s infrastructure. Interviews with some of these visiting technocrats reveal that they were handsomely rewarded for their time there and they enjoyed a standard of living much higher than would have been possible in Israel during the early 70s—until the revolution that overthrew the Shah and ushered in Khomeini. Interestingly, the film is made by the son of a couple who spent time living in Iran. It’s fascinating to hear how welcome they were in the Shah’s inner circles, even attending state dinners and hobnobbing with Iran’s top generals.
Kidon is an Israeli spoof about a convoluted diamonds-and-assassination caper that involves the highest levels of Mossad, the Israeli secret agency. Referred to as the Israeli American Hustle, it has twists and turns that are a little hard to follow while reading subtitles, but it’s a fun and light-hearted film. Films cost $11 in advance, $12 at the theater. stlouisjewishfilmfestival.org
