'Some light in the dark'

WORCESTER — “Itzhak,” Alison Chernick’s warm documentary about the great Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman, was a big hit when it was shown at the Central Mass International Jewish Film Festival in 2018.

The film is also a personal favorite of Nancy Greenberg, organizer of the festival and cultural arts director of the Worcester JCC.

However, "Itzhak" may have found a match at the 13th edition of the festival, running Jan. 17-28.

"Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles" is a new and fascinating documentary that looks at the cultural history and ongoing relevance and resonance of the beloved musical "Fiddler on the Roof," which opened on Broadway in 1964 with wonderful songs such as "If I Were a Rich Man," Sunrise, Sunset," and "Matchmaker, Matchmaker."  The documentary demonstrates how the musical, set in the Russian shtetl of Anatevka in 1905, has been embraced around the world, including (or especially) Japan. "Fiddler"  will be shown at 2 p.m. Jan. 26 at The Willows in Worcester. Tickets are $12.

"I felt like this really gave 'Itzhak' a run for its money," Greenberg said of her reaction after screening "Fiddler" and choosing it for the festival.

When "Itzhak" was shown, "People came out of the woodwork. I'm  hoping that will be the case for 'Fiddler,' too."

The festival will get underway Jan. 17 with a free "encore showing" of "Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Me Me"  at 1 p.m. at the Worcester Senior Center. Screened at the festival last year, the acclaimed documentary follows the sometimes troubled life of the multi-talented African-American entertainer who converted to Judaism.

The festival line-up of six films includes three movies filmed in Israel — "Tel Aviv on Fire," "Crescendo" and "The Other Story" — reflecting the renaissance in film making that is going on there. "There are some really great films coming out of Israel," Greenberg said. She referenced an article in the Jerusalem Post about the 2000/2001 Cinema Law which effectively tripled the funding the Israeli government gave to the country’s film industry, "which by that time had been in the doldrums for over 20 years ... In the past decade, Israeli movies have received hundreds of prizes at international film festivals," the Jerusalem Post said.

"Tel Aviv on Fire"  (officially opening the festival 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 in Congregation B'nai Shalom, Westboro; tickets $15) is a comedy-drama-satire about Salam, an aspiring if hapless writer who commutes daily from Jerusalem to the Ramallah set of a popular Palestinian soap opera and has regular chats with an officer at the Israeli checkpoint.  "It's giving you both the Palestinian and Israeli points of view," Greenberg said. By the same token, "It's lighthearted. It's fun."

In "Crescendo" (7 p.m. Jan. 21, Worcester JCC Auditorium; tickets $12), a world-renowned conductor accepts a job as maestro of an orchestra comprised of Israeli and Palestinian teens, while "The Other Story" (7 p.m. Jan. 28, Worcester JCC Auditorium; $12) focuses on two rebellious young women whose paths cross. The film is directed by award-winning Israeli director Avi Nesher.

"The Keeper" (7:30 p.m. Jan. 25, St. John's High School, Shrewsbury; 15), is a United Kingdom/Germany produced drama that tells the remarkable true story of Bert Trautmann, a German POW who elected to stay in Britain following World War II and became a goalkeeper for the Manchester City soccer club. Not all the fans were happy. But English schoolboys now know of Trautmann for his famed derring-do in an F.A. Cup Final.  The film has "something for everybody," Greenberg said.

The Central Mass. International Jewish Film Festival is presented by the Worcester JCC and made possible by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts with the goal of "Celebrating the Jewish experience through film." The event  draws a good audience of film lovers regardless of their background, Greenberg said.

The event has grown from three films in the early years to showing six, a number Greenberg feels is probably just about right for now. Films this year will be screened as five different venues, including in Westboro for the first time. 

In choosing the films" "I'm very methodical," Greenberg said.  She notes the films being shown at the big Jewish film festivals across the country including in Atlanta, San Francisco and Boston. "I will look to see what they chose as opening, middle and closing films (usually the strongest films) and audience favorites. I try to choose what seems to be the best of the best, and those are the ones I'll watch. I  factor in what I feel will appeal to my audience."

Greenberg watched 15 movies before choosing the five new films for this year's festival. "It's not easy. If I have co-sponsors I will let them look at the trailers," she said.

Still, "I am rather pleased with the line-up this year." 

Last year's hit was  "The Last Suit," about a Jewish tailor whose daughters are trying to arrange his move into a retirement home. He has other ideas.  "We had a huge turn out," Greenberg said.  

Unfortunately  the festival was also hit by winter weather — or, rather, a weather forecast that didn't turn out as badly as predicted but prompted the cancellation of the opening night film, "The Cakemaker."   The film was shown later "in nicer weather," Greenberg said.

The festival has always been held in January, a month that has its good and bad points, she said.

"I'm not up against  that much competition," she said of other cultural events going on in the area. January is also a time when the festival is not conflicting too much with activities put on by other Worcester JCC groups and related organizations. On the other hand, last year's opening night cancellation "felt like not a good way to start," Greenberg said. January, of course,  can be the cruelest month in terms of bad weather.

With that, "March weather is unpredictable. Passover falls in March ... It's confounding to when would be a better time to do it."

And at 13 years, the festival has established  itself as a January happening that people know about. Greenberg hears from people  if they haven't  received information about the festival in what they feel is a timely fashion. "They say 'When am I going to get film festival  information?'" she said.

"I think it kind of brings some light in the dark  for people to look forward to."

The schedule:

"Sammy Davis, Jr: I've Gotta be Me" — 1 p.m., Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St., Worcester. Free.

"Tel Aviv on Fire" — 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18. Congregation B'nai Shalom, 117 E Main St., Westboro. $15.

"Crescendo" — 7 p.m. Jan. 21, Worcester JCC Auditorium, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester. $12.

"The Keeper" — 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25, Founders Hall,  Robert R. Jay Performing Arts Center, St. John's High School, Shrewsbury. $15. Dessert reception following film co-sponsored by Chaverim, a program of JFCM, Hadassah Greater Boroughs Chapter, and Hadassah Worcester Chapter.

"Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles" — 2 p.m. Jan. 26, The Willows, Great Room, 101 Barry Road, Worcester. $12.

"The Other Story" — 7 p.m. Jan. 28, Worcester JCC Auditorium, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester. $12.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.worcesterjcc.org, at the Worcester JCC and at the door (subject to availability). In case of inclement weather, call the Worcester JCC at (508) 756-7109.

Contact Richard Duckett at richard.duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett.