Jewish International Film Festival 2019
The Jewish International Film Festival nearly reaches its 30th-anniversary milestone and will be presenting a program of 60 arresting films from 23 countries which include absorbing documentaries, hilarious comedies, and dramatic offerings.
A documentary 10 years in the making by Australian filmmaker Eve Ash called Man On The Bus is one of the highlights at the festival and should arouse much interest. “This is the discovery of my family secret and the realisation that we all need to accept where we’ve come from no matter what and see the positive. For me, it’s also a personal journey to really understand the horror my parents went through in the holocaust.”
After her mother’s passing Ash was sifting through old family films and saw a strange man who she eventually discovered was her father. Her mother was happily married but lived parallel lives being in a 15-year relationship with a man she met on a bus.
It was quite ironic that this woman who told her daughter ‘never to write about things which you don’t want people to read’ filmed her lover in her home movie footage.
When asked which one question she would ask her mother now if it was possible, Ash paused momentarily, “Did you want to tell me? Not why didn’t you tell me as that’s a very punishing question, but did you have the urge to?”
Ash explained that making this documentary was an extremely emotional project for her as she basically had to rewrite her own history but ultimately it was also a therapeutic experience.
“This documentary sends out a survival message – to have the desire to live and as we only live once we should choose how we want to live.”
Audiences will be moved, shed a tear or two, smile, laugh and ultimately be inspired by this incredible story. “My biggest challenge in making this documentary was to have the holocaust in there but not make it a holocaust film and still have an uplifting and humorous film despite the holocaust.” (MMo)
**Q&A with Eve Ash follows the screening on Monday, October 28 at Ritz Randwick **
Until Nov 21. Various Cinemas. $18.50-$180+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.jiff.com.au
HOT PICKS
GOLDA (ISRAEL DOCUMENTARY) – An intimate interview with never before seen footage of the legendary Prime Minister Golda, the first and only woman to ever rule Israel.
AVENGING EVIL (UK DOCUMENTARY) – Centres on the Holocaust victim’s secret organisation which was formed to avenge the Nazis for the atrocities committed against them.
MY NAME IS SARA (US DRAMA) – True story of a brave 13-year-old Polish Jew who desperately steals her friend’s identity for survival.
