NJFF RECOMMENDED VIEWING
SEARCHING FOR ISRAELI CUISINE
RECOMMENDED BY NJFF CO-DIRECTOR, JAMIE BROOK
Before I became a co-director, my husband and I enjoyed volunteering as screeners. One of the films we loved watching, though it did not make the cut, is called In Search of Israeli Cuisine (2016) starring Michael Solomonov, an Israeli chef and restaurateur known for his landmark Philadelphia restaurant, Zahav, and winner of the James Beard Foundation awards for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2011, Cookbook of the Year in 2016, and Outstanding Chef in 2017, according to Wikipedia.
A portrait of Israeli people, told through food. We shot in fine restaurants, home kitchens, wineries, cheese caves, on the street and everything in between. [Though] Americans see Israelis and Palestinians as always in conflict, those views are not shared with most of the people of Israel. "The Search for Israeli Cuisine" shows the 70+ cultures that make up the Israeli people, each with wonderful and unique food traditions. Israel has one of the hottest food scenes in the world. At times, getting into restaurants in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem can [be as] difficult as New York or San Francisco. —Roger Sherman
My husband and I enjoyed the opportunity to travel to Israel from the comfort of our own couch and experience the country through our favorite vehicle—cuisine! If you are hungering for some social distance style travel and consider yourself a foodie, then this film is for you. Enjoy!
SHALOM BOLLYWOOD
RECOMMENDED BY NJFF CO-DIRECTOR, LORETTA SAFF
For a 'stay-home-and-dance' experience!
Did you know that when Indian cinema began, Hindu and Islamic women were forbidden to perform on screen? The surprising solution was to bring in Indian Jewish women to star in the films and use stage names so they would not be recognized as Jewish.
Full of beautiful costumes and lovely archival footage, you’ll find yourself wanting to join in the dancing as you learn about these Jewish women in an industry you probably knew nothing about. Enjoy!
DOUGH
RECOMMENDED BY NJFF MARKETING DIRECTOR, KURT MEYER
This was our opening night film at the the Nashville Children’s Theatre a few years ago. I stayed right up until the film began and then had to head back home. A year or so later, looking for something warm-hearted and entertaining, I watched this film and loved the story of two people from different walks of life stumbling onto a way to better each other’s lives. It may be a little campy, but Jonathan Pryce is great (as always) and new comer, Jerome Holder, is a joy to watch.
Curmudgeonly widower Nat Dayan (Jonathan Pryce) clings to his way of life as a Kosher bakery shop owner in London's East End. Understaffed, Nat reluctantly enlists the help of teenager Ayyash (Jerome Holder), who has a secret side gig selling marijuana to help his immigrant mother make ends meet. When Ayyash accidentally drops his stash into the mixing dough, the challah starts flying off the shelves and an unlikely friendship forms between the old Jewish baker and his young Muslim apprentice.