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Friday February 23, 2007

Shorts: The Arts

Israeli films win awards at Berlin fest

Three Israeli entries were honored at the International Berlinale Film Festival.

Joseph Cedar took the prestigious competition’s Silver Bear for Best Director on Saturday, Feb. 17 for his Lebanon war drama “Beaufort,” a film about the Israeli pullout from Lebanon in 2000.

Cedar, 39, is a U.S.-born Orthodox Jew who spent much of his mandatory Israeli military service in southern Lebanon. “Hopefully this film will give insight into the specific nature of how absurd combat and war is,” he said in his acceptance speech.

Also honored was “The Bubble,” a portrait of bohemian Tel Aviv life including an affair between a Jewish man and his Palestinian lover. The film, by Eytan Fox, received the International Confederation of Art House Cinemas prize, and second place in the Panorama Prize category for best independent and art-house cinema.

“Sweet Mud,” Dror Shaul’s family drama set in a kibbutz in the 1970s, received the Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film in the youth category. The youth jury said the film, an “authentic depiction of a close mother-son relationship and the quest for a way of one’s own, has moved us deeply.” — jta

‘Simpsons’ offers lessons at Indiana U.

Jewish students at Indiana University seeking an alternative lesson in faith can join a Hillel program offering a religious discussion on the topic of “The Simpsons.”

According to CampusJ.com, the five-part series “The Simpsons and the Ten Commandments” offers students a chance to “discuss how the show addresses the complexity of ethics in the modern world,” based on the fact that “‘The Simpsons’ has tackled many subjects, and none more thoroughly than religion.” — jta

Hillel to present staged reading of new play

Berkeley Hillel will present a work-in-progress reading of “Rabbi Sam,” a new play written and performed by Charlie Varon and directed by David Ford. The reading takes place 8 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at Berkeley Hillel, 2736 Bancroft Way, Berkeley.

Varon has been writing and performing for over 25 years, and since 1991 has been creating solo theater work in collaboration with Ford. Some of the previous theatrical works they developed together are “Rush Limbaugh in Night School,” “Soup of the Day,” “People’s Violin” and “Genome Out of the Bottle.”

Admission to the reading is free, but all attendees are asked to RSVP with Hillel Rabbi Dorothy Richman at drichman@berkeleyhillel.org.

Klezmer band wins Grammy

In yet another indication of the growing mainstream appeal of Jewish music, the Klezmatics walked away from the 2007 Grammys in Los Angeles with one of the coveted golden statues.

The klezmer group won the best contemporary world music album award Feb. 11 for “Wonder Wheel,” with lyrics by Woody Guthrie. The Klezmatics have been performing together since the mid-’80s, and count gospel, Arabic and punk music among their influences.

Jewish music aficionados also rejoiced at Orthodox singer Matisyahu’s Grammy nomination for best reggae album, though the black-hatted sensation went home empty-handed, losing to Ziggy Marley.

Spitz, Cosell headline Hall of Fame picks

Swimmer Mark Spitz and broadcaster Howard Cosell were among this year’s inductees to the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum at the Suffolk Jewish Community Center in Commack, N.J.

Others inducted were Senda Berenson, a pioneer in women’s basketball; Bonnie Bernstein, broadcaster; Harry Haft, boxer; George Kalinsky, photographer; Deena Kastor, marathoner; Craig Ludin, Special Olympics athlete; Dan Lurie, bodybuilder; Jerry Markbreit, NFL referee; Lennie Rosenbluth, college basketball player; and Dwight Stones, high jumper.

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