Cinematheque presents festival of Jewish film

Drawing from contemporary Israeli film, American independent film and classic Yiddish cinema, the Cinematheque Jewish Film Festival at UW–Madison will convey a broad swath of the Jewish experience here and abroad.

The series opens Saturday, Feb. 7, with “Kadosh (Sacred),” a contemporary (1999) co-production between France and Israel. The story follows the romantic travails of two sisters, one barren and consequently required to divorce her adored husband under Orthodox law; the other in love with a man deemed unsuitable.

Other films in the series are:

• “Song of a Jewish Cowboy” and “Yidl Mitn Fidl,” Saturday, Feb. 14. “Cowboy” (2002) is a 20-minute documentary about the rambles of Scott Gerber, descendant of Jewish chicken farmers in California. “Yidl” (1937) is an example of the vibrant Yiddish theater tradition. The film features Molly Picon, foremost star of that genre. In “Yidl,” she dresses as a boy in order to accompany her musician father on his travels.
• “Bubbeh Lee and Me” (1996) and “Returning Home: Anna Halprin Dances in Nature” (2003), Saturday, Feb. 21. Filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson will be on hand to discuss both independent documentaries. “Bubba” chronicles a visit to his grandmother in Florida, where the two discuss love, aging and the filmmaker’s homosexuality. “Returning Home” showcases the 80-year-old modern dance pioneer, who studied with Margaret H’Doubler at the UW and earned a degree in dance from the university in 1942. In 1994, UW–Madison recognized her with an honorary degree.

All films are free and open to the public, and begin at 7:30 p.m. in 4070 Vilas Hall. For more information, contact UW-Madison Cinematheque, (608) 262-2277.