A twin city Jewish fest & Missing the theatre?

In these “interesting times” Windsor’s Jewish film festival is hooking up with Hamilton’s Jewish festival for a joint film event this week. Richard Kamen of the Windsor Jewish Federation told me the festival will be held, virtually, on one website May 2- 13. Usually the Windsor Jewish festival, which was supposed to celebrate its 18th year last year, is held in the spring at Devonshire Cineplex. But Covid cancelled it last year and the joint virtual festival is taking place this year. Kamen said Hamilton already had a small three-film festival and it was logical to hook up with Windsor’s 10 flick event, as the two Jewish federations had collaborated on other projects. “The films were chosen by Windsor but they were reviewed and approved by Hamilton,” he said. A website at eventive.org has been created to buy tickets and passes, watch trailers and “unlock” the films for viewing. (whjff.eventive.org/welcome). “It’s basically a one stop shop,” Kamen said. There will be 10 films, one released each night at 7 pm except for Friday and Saturday because of the Sabbath. But each film has 48 hours to be unlocked and then another 48 hours to be viewed. “So technically from the moment we release it you technically have 96 hours." The films have been “critically acclaimed” and shown at numerous other festivals. Among them are Fiddler - A Miracle of Miracles (Max Lewkowicz), a doc about the making of the iconic Fiddler on the Roof. Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog (Lynn Roth), is an endearing drama about a boy separated from his dog by the Nazis only to rediscover the beloved animal in a concentration camp. And Love in Suspenders (Yohanan Weller), a romantic comedy about two septuagenarians who fall in love - will their budding relationship survive the scrutiny of their children?

Am I missing going to the theatre since Covid lockdowns began over a year ago? Well, yes. There was an experience in going to a bricks and mortar venue and sharing that with others. But it wasn't even that. Physically getting up and going to a scheduled film was, for lack of a better description, an event. And I think that's what we all miss. But it's very ironic. I subscribe to the Criterion Channel. At any given moment there is a retrospective - actually several - of the films of some of best names in cinema. Currently I'm watching films of the great French post-war actress Jeanne Moreau. It's wonderful to have at my fingertips more than a dozen of her films on offer. Yet part of me is blasé. Had these same films been offered as a retrospective at a Detroit art house (Detroit Film Theatre, DIA photo), I'd be excited as hell. I'd be crossing the border (when it was opened) every night to see them. On the other hand, each time I crossed the border and attended a film in the US it would cost at least $20 - $30 US ($25 - $35 Can), once bridge tolls, gas and sometimes parking were included. That's about a third what I pay to subscribe to Criterion Channel for a year! Despite that, I would have been immensely more excited by the theatre event.