By Matthew Kincanon | FāVS News Reporter
Throughout the end of January and the beginning of February, the Spokane Area Jewish Family Services (SAJFS) will be presenting its 22nd annual Spokane Jewish Film Festival (SJFF) with a lineup containing both comedies and hard-hitting dramas that explore important figures of the past and relevant events in the present that will feature some special guests.
Neal Schindler, director of Jewish Family Services, was excited for the Academy Award shortlisted documentary “Coexistence, My Ass!” to be included in their lineup. He described it as a superb documentary and how its unconventional approach to Israel and Palestine will likely make it more accessible for general audiences than some other films about the subject.
The documentary follows Israeli comedian and peace activist Noam Shuster-Eliassi, who grew up in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a village where Israeli Jews and Palestinians chose to live together in an attempt to show that both peoples can live peacefully. It follows how she uses humor to bring attention to ethnic hatred and to advocate for equality, and it follows her through the grief of the Oct, 7 attacks committed by Hamas in 2023 and Israel’s response in Gaza.
“It’s funny, it’s poignant, it’s timely, and I’m thrilled that we’re screening it,” Schindler said.
Festival committee chair Jack Sorensen was excited for the film “Welcome to Yiddishland,” which is about a group of global artists, writers, comedians and others trying to revive Yiddish language music and theatre, which he said has a rich history and cultural tradition.
Another film that will be shown is the new documentary “Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire,” which gives viewers an intimate portrait of the Holocaust survivor, author, activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. The film contains rare archival footage, interviews and personal reflections that explores Wiesel’s life from the Holocaust to being an icon.
“When someone reaches the iconic status that Wiesel has, it can be hard to remember to see him also as a human being, a father, an imperfect but well-intentioned person who is more relatable than the saint that some folks, understandably enough, have come to regard him as,” Schindler said. “I found the interviews with his son, who discusses both his admiration for Elie and the challenges of growing up as the child of such a social justice luminary, both moving and memorable.”
Sorensen said the film is an in-depth and moving look into the life of “a man who wrote one of the most widely-read pieces of first hand Holocaust literature in the world,” and it’s a great chance for people to learn more about the man behind the literature.
Schindler also thinks the documentary casts Wiesel in a positive light, but avoids the hagiography that can make some biographical documentaries forgettable and dishonest.
“I wouldn’t call this a warts-and-all look at Wiesel, but I do think it’s easier for us to really understand great figures in history if we can ground our understanding in their personhood, their mortality, their humanity, rather than seeing them as untouchable symbols of good,” Schindler said.
Each feature film at the festival is paired with a short film. Schindler said some pairings may make more sense to some audience members than others, but their goal was to use six screenings to show 12 films and emphasize the “kaleidoscopic and many-faceted nature of the Jewish experience.”
He’s also excited that Rabbi Tamar Malino from Temple Beth Shalom and the Meshugga Daddies klezmer band will be joining the festival in person. Spokane-born and Yiddish scholar Rachelle Grossman, Ph.D., and law professor Mark Drumbl will join online. Filmmaker Jonah Feingold will be joining via Zoom to discuss “Welcome to Yiddishland”; “Soda” and “31 Candles.”
Schindler described “Soda” as a solid pick for folks who prefer narrative films to documentaries and “31 Candles” gave them an opportunity to screen a charming romcom, which they don’t often get to do.
“In general, I’m really pleased that the festival is back at the Magic Lantern (we were last year as well), and I thank Joe Sheehan and his staff at the theater for making it such an excellent venue for us,” Schindler said.
Sorensen said the festival isn’t a festival for Jewish people in Spokane. It’s a Jewish festival for the broader Spokane community and offers a fun and engaging way to learn about Jewish art, life and culture.
“It is truly an event for the entire Spokane-area community. It’s the biggest Jewish cultural event in our region, and an unparalleled opportunity for folks to learn about Jewish culture, life, and identity,” Schindler said.
The festival will be held from Thursday, Jan. 22, to Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Magic Lantern Theatre (25 W. Main Ave. #125). Tickets can be purchased here.
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