The Charleston Jewish Film Fest returns to the Terrace Theatre March 30-April 2 with four acclaimed films offering a rich sampling of international content. The lineup includes two comedies, a drama and a documentary, with discussions touching on subjects that range from lighthearted — explorations of Jewish humor and generational differences using smartphones — to heavier topics like the Holocaust.
Festival Director Sandra Brett said a unifying theme between the four films is generational relationships and divides.
“These films really deal with themes that are of universal interest. I think that’s something the Jewish community wants to do — to embrace these themes and show the larger community our similarities rather than our differences. I think coming to the festival is a way to get a side of the Jewish experience.”
The two films on Sunday, Farewell, Mr. Haffmann and Who’s Afraid of Jewish Humor?, offer post-screening Q&As with College of Charleston (CofC) professors, which Brett said allows for interesting discussions between audience members and experts on the subject matter.
“Two professors will speak on Who’s Afraid of Jewish Humor? One who deals with Holocaust literature and movies. The other is from the German department, because the film is in German with subtitles,” she said. “I felt I just learned so much from it about the roots of Jewish humor, going back to the Bible, but I think the discussion with them will really give us some insight to see what they think the film got wrong and what it did right.”
Learn more about the four films in the line-up:
Farewell, Mr. Haffmann
After the Nazi occupation of Paris, jeweler Joseph Haffmann arranges for his family to flee the city and offers one of his employees the chance to take over his store until the conflict subsides. The escape goes awry in this thriller about greed, survival and courage. This film is followed by a Q&A led by CofC professors Jacob Podber and Beatrice Frask Ramos. Sunday, April 2, 1 p.m.
Hummus Full Trailer
A comedy of errors results when three importers — a couple of Arabs, gay florists and religious Jews — each receive the wrong shipment in Israel. Add into the mix a young groom named Johnny who is in the midst of a gang war and needs to fix the mess in order to get married on time. Thursday, March 30, 7:10 p.m.
iMordecai
A Holocaust survivor, Mordecai (Judd Hirsch) must face the realities of the modern world when his ancient flip phone breaks. Confronted with an unfamiliar object, an iPhone, Mordecai wonders if he will be able to fit into this new world he’s discovering. The uplifting comedy is a love letter to the city of Miami and a reminder to live life to the fullest. Saturday, April 1, 6:55 p.m.
Who’s Afraid of Jewish Humor?
In this 2022 documentary, filmmakers Jascha Hannover and Arkadij Kahet set out to explore the origins of Jewish humor, tracing the use of irony and satire back to the Bible. The film features archival footage from around the globe alongside interviews with comedy experts from Europe and Israel. Who’s Afraid of Jewish Humour? celebrates a very long tradition of Jews being seriously funny and questions: Who owns Jewish humor — and who owns the laughter? This film is followed by a Q&A led by CofC professors Ezra Cappell and Morgan Koerner. Sunday, April 2, 3:30 p.m.
The festival is organized with support from the College of Charleston (CofC) Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program, Stanley Farbstein Endowment and the JCC Foundation. Advance tickets and showtimes are available at terracetheater.com/jewish-filmfest. Admission is $13 general admission; $10 CofC students, faculty and staff. A pass for the entire festival is $40 for all four films plus the opening reception and a limited edition mug.
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