Hermann Vaske with 99 Records founder Ed Bahlman and Anne-Katrin Titze on the journey to interview Cate Blanchett for Can Creativity Save the World?: “It started when Cate was shooting The Monuments Men [in 2013] in Berlin with George Clooney. And the Dp was a friend of mine, Phedon Papamichael who works with James Mangold.”
Hermann Vaske’s evermore timely Can Creativity Save The World? (with a lively score by Mark Reeder and Micha Adam) features on-camera interviews with Cate Blanchett, Golshifteh Farahani, Isabella Rossellini, Angelina Jolie, Willem Dafoe, Umberto Eco, Shirin Neshat, Garry Kasparov, Marina Abramović, John Cleese, Salman Rushdie, Luisa Neubauer (of Pussy Riot), Bono (of U2), Oscar Niemeyer, David Bowie, Marlene Knobloch, Sean Penn, Radu Jude, Amos Oz, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Oliviero Toscani, Björk, Campino (of Die Toten Hosen fame), Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Lakshmi Thevasagayam, and Lia Mizrahi Goldfarb (co-editor and production designer of the documentary).
Hermann...
Hermann Vaske’s evermore timely Can Creativity Save The World? (with a lively score by Mark Reeder and Micha Adam) features on-camera interviews with Cate Blanchett, Golshifteh Farahani, Isabella Rossellini, Angelina Jolie, Willem Dafoe, Umberto Eco, Shirin Neshat, Garry Kasparov, Marina Abramović, John Cleese, Salman Rushdie, Luisa Neubauer (of Pussy Riot), Bono (of U2), Oscar Niemeyer, David Bowie, Marlene Knobloch, Sean Penn, Radu Jude, Amos Oz, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Oliviero Toscani, Björk, Campino (of Die Toten Hosen fame), Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Lakshmi Thevasagayam, and Lia Mizrahi Goldfarb (co-editor and production designer of the documentary).
Hermann...
- 4/17/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Nadine Labaki, the Lebanese director of last year’s “Capernaum,” has been named the president and chair of the Un Certain Regard prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the festival announced Tuesday.
Labaki’s “Capernaum” was Oscar-nominated in 2018 for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also nominated for the Palme D’Or and won Labaki the festival’s Jury Prize.
For the 72nd edition of the festival, she will chair the Un Certain Regard jury, succeeding actor Benicio Del Toro from last year.
Also Read: 'Capernaum' Director Nadine Labaki Says Refugee Child Star Is Safe and Resettled (Video)
“I remember the time when I came to Cannes as film student, eager to discover the most prestigious festival in the world,” Labaki said in a statement. “At that time, the world seemed unattainable. I remember the early mornings and long queues in order to get a ticket.
Labaki’s “Capernaum” was Oscar-nominated in 2018 for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also nominated for the Palme D’Or and won Labaki the festival’s Jury Prize.
For the 72nd edition of the festival, she will chair the Un Certain Regard jury, succeeding actor Benicio Del Toro from last year.
Also Read: 'Capernaum' Director Nadine Labaki Says Refugee Child Star Is Safe and Resettled (Video)
“I remember the time when I came to Cannes as film student, eager to discover the most prestigious festival in the world,” Labaki said in a statement. “At that time, the world seemed unattainable. I remember the early mornings and long queues in order to get a ticket.
- 3/26/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Natalie Portman is remembering her good friend and Israeli author Amos Oz.
Oz died of cancer on Friday at the age of 79, according to NPR. The literary giant inspired Portman, 37, with his 2002 autobiographical novel A Tale of Love and Darkness, which she made into a film in 2015.
The Oscar-winner shared her condolences on Instagram Friday writing, “My heart is broken.”
“Today we lost a soul, a mind, a heart, Amos Oz, who brought so much beauty, so much love, and a vision of peace to our lives,” Portman wrote in the caption. “Please hold him in your hearts and read his gorgeous books.
Oz died of cancer on Friday at the age of 79, according to NPR. The literary giant inspired Portman, 37, with his 2002 autobiographical novel A Tale of Love and Darkness, which she made into a film in 2015.
The Oscar-winner shared her condolences on Instagram Friday writing, “My heart is broken.”
“Today we lost a soul, a mind, a heart, Amos Oz, who brought so much beauty, so much love, and a vision of peace to our lives,” Portman wrote in the caption. “Please hold him in your hearts and read his gorgeous books.
- 12/29/2018
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
Amos Oz, lauded Israeli author whose works included critically praised memoir A Tale and Love and Darkness which was made into the 2015 feature film, and an outspoken advocate for peace with the Palestinians, died of cancer Friday. His daughter, Fania Oz-Salzberger, confirmed her father’s death on Twitter. He was 79. “To those who loved him, thank you,” Oz-Salzberger wrote, adding he had died “after a speedy deterioration, in his sleep.”
Among his most acclaimed works are his 2002 memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness, which was adapted for the screen and directed by Natalie Portman, who also starred in the film. “It was a tale of love and light, and now, a great darkness,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in a statement eulogizing Oz. “Rest in peace, dear Amos. You gave us great pleasure.”
Oz’s novel Panther in the Basement also was the basis for the 2007 film The Little Traitor,...
Among his most acclaimed works are his 2002 memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness, which was adapted for the screen and directed by Natalie Portman, who also starred in the film. “It was a tale of love and light, and now, a great darkness,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in a statement eulogizing Oz. “Rest in peace, dear Amos. You gave us great pleasure.”
Oz’s novel Panther in the Basement also was the basis for the 2007 film The Little Traitor,...
- 12/28/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Amos Oz, the Israeli author whose acclaimed 2002 autobiographical novel “A Tale of Love and Darkness” inspired Natalie Portman’s 2015 directorial debut, died Friday. He was age 79.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Oz had been battling cancer.
The Jerusalem-born writer published more than 18 books, including “Black Box” and “In the Land of Israel.”
But he is perhaps best known for “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” a fictionalized account of his boyhood during the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the Israeli state. The book recounts his mother’s battle with depression as well as his teenage years on a kibbutz.
Portman, an Oscar-winning actress also born in Jerusalem, wrote and directed a 2005 film adaptation that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She also played Fania, the character inspired by Oz’s mother.
Last month, U.S.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Oz had been battling cancer.
The Jerusalem-born writer published more than 18 books, including “Black Box” and “In the Land of Israel.”
But he is perhaps best known for “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” a fictionalized account of his boyhood during the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the Israeli state. The book recounts his mother’s battle with depression as well as his teenage years on a kibbutz.
Portman, an Oscar-winning actress also born in Jerusalem, wrote and directed a 2005 film adaptation that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She also played Fania, the character inspired by Oz’s mother.
Last month, U.S.
- 12/28/2018
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
The actor, director and activist returns with two films that show the devastating effects of fame on young stars. She explains how she escaped a similar fate
Natalie Portman has gone through something of a transformation in recent years. Seeking to do her bit to improve the appalling statistics on the lack of female directors in Hollywood, she took on 2015’s A Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of Amos Oz’s novel about Israel’s difficult early years. “Having to watch my own footage in the editing room completely changed me as an actor,” she says. “I realised I was often doing the same thing every take, like I had picked the right way to do it and was just doing it over and over again. And, I was like: ‘Do something different!’ So I realised very late in the game how important it was to, like, really try different things.
Natalie Portman has gone through something of a transformation in recent years. Seeking to do her bit to improve the appalling statistics on the lack of female directors in Hollywood, she took on 2015’s A Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of Amos Oz’s novel about Israel’s difficult early years. “Having to watch my own footage in the editing room completely changed me as an actor,” she says. “I realised I was often doing the same thing every take, like I had picked the right way to do it and was just doing it over and over again. And, I was like: ‘Do something different!’ So I realised very late in the game how important it was to, like, really try different things.
- 9/13/2018
- by Gwilym Mumford
- The Guardian - Film News
Updated with Portman statement, 4:24 Pm: Oscar winner Natalie Portman has issued a statement explaining her reasons for not attending an awards ceremony in Israel:
My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony. By the same token, I am not part of the Bds movement and do not endorse it. Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance. Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is...
My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony. By the same token, I am not part of the Bds movement and do not endorse it. Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance. Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is...
- 4/20/2018
- by Denise Petski and Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
The Genesis Prize Foundation (Gpf) announced that world-renowned actress, director and social activist Natalie Portman has been selected as the 2018 Genesis Prize Laureate.
The annual $1 million award honors extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievement, commitment to Jewish values and to the Jewish people.
Portman is a globally-acclaimed actress and director. She began her acting career at the age of 12 and has since achieved recognition and praise from audiences around the world. She is a winner of multiple prestigious awards, including an Academy Award (Oscar), two Golden Globe Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Award, as well as other industry honors.
Portman was born in Israel and, after moving to the Us as a child, retained a close connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots. In 2015, she directed Tale of Love and Darkness, a Hebrew-language film made...
The annual $1 million award honors extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievement, commitment to Jewish values and to the Jewish people.
Portman is a globally-acclaimed actress and director. She began her acting career at the age of 12 and has since achieved recognition and praise from audiences around the world. She is a winner of multiple prestigious awards, including an Academy Award (Oscar), two Golden Globe Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Award, as well as other industry honors.
Portman was born in Israel and, after moving to the Us as a child, retained a close connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots. In 2015, she directed Tale of Love and Darkness, a Hebrew-language film made...
- 11/9/2017
- Look to the Stars
Every week, a bevy of new releases (independent or otherwise), open in theaters. That’s why we created the Weekly Film Guide, filled with basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.
For August, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for August 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, August 19. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
Ben-Hur
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Cast: Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman, Nazanin Boniadi, Rodrigo Santoro, Toby Kebbell
Synopsis: The epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title,...
For August, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for August 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, August 19. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
Ben-Hur
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Cast: Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman, Nazanin Boniadi, Rodrigo Santoro, Toby Kebbell
Synopsis: The epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title,...
- 8/19/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Prior to shooting her directorial debut, “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” which hits theaters Friday, Natalie Portman worked with roughly 40 directors as an actress, including Mike Nichols, Darren Aronofsky, Anthony Minghella and Woody Allen. The last movie she shot before moving behind the camera was Terrence Malick’s “Knight of Cups,” an experience that wound up helping her tremendously thanks to some handy advice from the legendary director, Portman said during a talk at the 92nd Street Y in New York Thursday moderated by Columbia University School of the Arts professor Annette Insdorf.
Read More: ‘Voyage of Time’ Trailer: Terrence Malick’s Ambitious IMAX Documentary Looks Stunning
“He kept saying, ‘Make films your way and don’t let anyone tell you that you need a three-act structure,'” Portman said. “‘You just make movies as you experience life.'” That advice helped Portman trust her instincts as a first-time...
Read More: ‘Voyage of Time’ Trailer: Terrence Malick’s Ambitious IMAX Documentary Looks Stunning
“He kept saying, ‘Make films your way and don’t let anyone tell you that you need a three-act structure,'” Portman said. “‘You just make movies as you experience life.'” That advice helped Portman trust her instincts as a first-time...
- 8/19/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
This film is Natalie Portman's passion project, a kind of movie so rare in formula-obsessed Hollywood that at first you might not recognize the breadth of its feeling or the scope of its ambition. Portman enters the world of Amos Oz, Israel's leading author, through his acclaimed 2002 memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness, a book in which the writer tracked his own coming of age along with the state of Israel. Portman's film, told in subtitled Hebrew, is miles from a conventional biopic. As writer and director (this...
- 8/18/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Back in the spring, we learned that Natalie Portman was taking a break from Marvel movies—well, not so much taking one as having it imposed upon her. Jane Foster, Portman’s astrophysicist character in the first two Thor films, was nowhere to be found in any synopses or news about Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok that’s been released since production began. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige eventually explained that Foster (Portman) would not play a third wheel to the Hulk-Thor road-trip movie that is Ragnarok. Now Portman herself has spoken about her participation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is effectively over.
The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed Portman about her directorial debut, A Tale Of Love And Darkness. The actress says she felt compelled to adapt Amos Oz’s autobiographical work, which centers on a family living in Jerusalem in 1948, during the establishment of Israel.
The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed Portman about her directorial debut, A Tale Of Love And Darkness. The actress says she felt compelled to adapt Amos Oz’s autobiographical work, which centers on a family living in Jerusalem in 1948, during the establishment of Israel.
- 8/18/2016
- by Danette Chavez
- avclub.com
Whether it’s called a memoir or a “nonfiction novel,” autobiographical writing generally belongs to one of two categories. In the first, a person who’s lived a remarkable life, or has briefly experienced some extraordinary events, narrates a series of personal adventures: “This is what happened to me.” More common, though, is the second variety, in which nothing especially earth-shattering takes place, but tremors arise from the writer’s perception and processing of events: “This is how what happened to me felt.” While both are totally valid approaches, narrative-driven memoirs tend to work better as movies—think 127 Hours, The Pianist, Catch Me If You Can. Translating the internal, mood-oriented type to the screen is tricky business, and that’s the challenge Natalie Portman took on when she chose to make her directorial debut with an adaptation of Amos Oz’s 2002 bestseller A Tale Of Love And Darkness ...
- 8/18/2016
- by Mike D'Angelo
- avclub.com
“A Tale of Love and Darkness” seeks to blend serious political history and probing psychological analysis. The effort does not succeed, coming across disjointed and grim. Adapted from Israeli author Amos Oz’s eponymous autobiographical novel and told in subtitled Hebrew, the film is well-intentioned but too superficial and self conscious to truly move the audience. The directorial debut of Natalie Portman feels like a movie that left critical portions of its essential backstories on the cutting room floor, with only somberness to fill in the gaps. Also Read: Natalie Portman's Jackie Kennedy Drama 'Jackie' Added to...
- 8/17/2016
- by Claudia Puig
- The Wrap
Amos Oz is the author of twenty novels, many more works of non-fiction and short stories, and is easily Israel’s most famous literary export. He’s been published in over forty countries, has received awards around the world, and has been very vocal about the political situation in his native country. His is a rich, complicated, […]
The post Natalie Portman’s Directorial Debut ‘A Tale Of Love And Darkness’ Is A Distant Drama [Review] appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Natalie Portman’s Directorial Debut ‘A Tale Of Love And Darkness’ Is A Distant Drama [Review] appeared first on The Playlist.
- 8/15/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
A Tale Of Love And Darkness Focus World Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Shockya Grade: C+ Director: Natalie Portman Written by: Natalie Portman, based on Amos Oz’s memoir Cast: Natalie Portman, Amir Tessler, Gilad Kahana Screened at: Review 1 or 2, NYC, 7/27/16 Opens: August 19, 2016 One of the memorable quotes in Natalie Portman’s freshman entry as director is that two persecuted people should be teaming up to fight the oppressor, but instead fight each other. This is in reference to the long-term tensions between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East. The Jews were obviously persecuted to the extreme degree by Germans and by Germany’s supporters, while the Arabs [ Read More ]
The post A Tale of Love and Darkness Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post A Tale of Love and Darkness Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 8/15/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Natalie Portman is ready to take the leap from working with high-profile directors, to becoming one herself. The Oscar-winning actress’ first feature filmmaking effort is A Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of the memoir by Amos Oz. Portman also stars in the film as Amos’ loving but long-suffering mother Fania. A Tale of […]
The post ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’ Trailer: Natalie Portman Makes Her Directorial Debut appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’ Trailer: Natalie Portman Makes Her Directorial Debut appeared first on /Film.
- 7/25/2016
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
"Your innocence will never abandon you..." Focus World has debuted a brand new official Us trailer for Natalie Portman's directorial debut, a drama called A Tale of Love and Darkness, set against the backdrop of the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel. Natalie Portman plays Fania Oz, the mother of Amos Oz, a person from real life who eventually becomes a writer, journalist, and advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film focuses mostly on his youth and his relationship with his mother. The cast includes Amir Tessler as the young Amos Oz, as well as Gilad Kahana, Ohad Knoller, Makram Khoury and Rotem Keinan. This looks powerful with some stunning cinematography by Slawomir Idziak (of Black Hawk Down, Gattaca). Have a look below. Here's an official Us trailer for Natalie Portman's A Tale of Love and Darkness,...
- 7/22/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Natalie Portman optioned the rights to Amos Oz’s bestselling memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness more than eight years ago. The Israeli-born actress reportedly met with the writer before adapting the screenplay herself. Now the film, written, directed, and starring Portman, gets a trailer (above). Shot by veteran Polish Dp Slawomir Idzia, the Hebrew-language film tells the story of a troubled young mother, Fania Oz (Portman), as she raises young Amos (Amir Tessler) during the turbulent early days of the state of Israel. Focus World will release the film, which premiered at Cannes last year, in theaters on August […]...
- 7/22/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Oftentimes, when an actor makes their directorial debut, they seek to cut their teeth on a small project that ultimately makes few waves. Jason Bateman’s Bad Words was mildly amusing, but predictable. James Franco’s The Ape is largely unknown. Even Lake Bell’s In A World… , while great, is a very contained, intimate story. This is not the strategy employed by Academy Award winner Natalie Portman, however, who makes her debut with A Tale Of Love And Darkness.
Based on the memoir by Israeli author Amos Oz, the film takes an unflinching, historical look at the politics of Israel and Palestine, the mother-son relationship, familial grief, and the nurturing of the creative mind, on a personal level. The film is also presented entirely in Hebrew.
“Based on the international best-seller by Amos Oz, A Tale Of Love And Darkness is the story of his youth, set against the...
Based on the memoir by Israeli author Amos Oz, the film takes an unflinching, historical look at the politics of Israel and Palestine, the mother-son relationship, familial grief, and the nurturing of the creative mind, on a personal level. The film is also presented entirely in Hebrew.
“Based on the international best-seller by Amos Oz, A Tale Of Love And Darkness is the story of his youth, set against the...
- 7/22/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
When actors turn to directing, it's often for a passion project. A Tale of Love and Darkness, which is the feature directorial debut of Natalie Portman, is no exception. The former child actress turned Oscar winner optioned the rights to Amos Oz's autobiographical novel almost a decade ago and worked on the screenplay on her own for many years. In addition to being the writer and director, Portman also stars in the film, which is set in Jerusalem during the early days of the independent state of Israel. She plays Oz's mother, Fania, opposite Israeli singer Gilad Kahana in the role of his father and various child actors playing the author as a boy. One of the matters of Portman's determination on the project was having the film not just shot in...
Read More...
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- 7/22/2016
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Natalie Portman will be seen in a second Terrence Malick film soon (fingers crossed), as well as new films from Xavier Dolan, Alex Garland, and Pablo Larraín within the next year, but before that, she’ll finally debut her first directorial effort in U.S. theaters this summer. Following a premiere at Cannes Film Festival last year, we now have the U.S. trailer for A Tale of Love and Darkness.
Based on a bestselling book of the same name by author Amos Oz, it chronicles Oz’s early life during the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the beginning of the new formed Jewish state. With cinematography from Slawomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down, Gattaca), the reception thus far has been a bit muted, but we’re looking forward to see what Portman can do behind the camera considering the great directors she’s worked with thus far.
Based on a bestselling book of the same name by author Amos Oz, it chronicles Oz’s early life during the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the beginning of the new formed Jewish state. With cinematography from Slawomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down, Gattaca), the reception thus far has been a bit muted, but we’re looking forward to see what Portman can do behind the camera considering the great directors she’s worked with thus far.
- 7/21/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Based on Amos Oz’s memoir of the same name, “A Tale of Love and Darkness” is Natalie Portman’s feature directorial debut and centers around a young mother Fania Oz (Portman) as she raises her son Amos (Amir Tessler) during the turbulent birth of Israel.
The film chronicles their relationship as the world around them is in turmoil. After moving to Palestine from Europe to escape persecution, Fania entertains her son with hopeful adventure stories to distract him from their harsh reality. Gilad Kahana, Makram Khoury, Neta Riskin and Shira Haas also co-star.
Read More: Watch: Natalie Portman Seizes the Director’s Chair in Striking ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’ Trailer
The drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 and was later acquired by Focus World. Portman, who wrote the script, optioned the rights to the book more than eight years ago and insisted that the adaptation remain in Hebrew.
The film chronicles their relationship as the world around them is in turmoil. After moving to Palestine from Europe to escape persecution, Fania entertains her son with hopeful adventure stories to distract him from their harsh reality. Gilad Kahana, Makram Khoury, Neta Riskin and Shira Haas also co-star.
Read More: Watch: Natalie Portman Seizes the Director’s Chair in Striking ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’ Trailer
The drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 and was later acquired by Focus World. Portman, who wrote the script, optioned the rights to the book more than eight years ago and insisted that the adaptation remain in Hebrew.
- 7/21/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Focus World has acquired from Wild Bunch most worldwide territories on writer/director Julia Ducournau’s psychological horror thriller Raw. Focus World has firmed global rights to the movie for Focus Features release internationally, excluding France, Israel, Czech and Slovak Republics, Benelux, former Yugoslavia, Latin America, Greece, Australia and New Zealand.
In the U.S., Focus World will debut the movie in theatrical release in the spring of 2017.
The Petit Film/Rouge International/FraKas Productions film world-premiered at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival in the International Critics’ Week section, where it won the Fipresci Prize. Produced by Petit Film’s Jean des Forêts, the French-language Raw stars Garance Marillier and is the debut feature from Ms. Ducournau.
Read Variety’s review Here.
Ms. Marillier portrays the teenaged Justine, who commences her studies at veterinary school to follow in her family members’ footsteps. Raised as a vegetarian, Justine is pressured at...
In the U.S., Focus World will debut the movie in theatrical release in the spring of 2017.
The Petit Film/Rouge International/FraKas Productions film world-premiered at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival in the International Critics’ Week section, where it won the Fipresci Prize. Produced by Petit Film’s Jean des Forêts, the French-language Raw stars Garance Marillier and is the debut feature from Ms. Ducournau.
Read Variety’s review Here.
Ms. Marillier portrays the teenaged Justine, who commences her studies at veterinary school to follow in her family members’ footsteps. Raised as a vegetarian, Justine is pressured at...
- 7/5/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Following its world premiere at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival, Julia Ducournau’s Raw has been acquired by Focus World for global distribution, with a Us release date planned for the spring of 2017:
Press Release: Los Angeles, July 5th, 2016 – Affirming its commitment to specialty and foreign films, Focus World, the multiplatform distribution initiative owned and operated by Focus Features, has acquired from Wild Bunch most worldwide territories on writer/director Julia Ducournau’s psychological horror thriller Raw. Focus World has firmed global rights to the movie for Focus Features release internationally, excluding France, Israel, Czech and Slovak Republics, Benelux, former Yugoslavia, Latin America, Greece, Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., Focus World will debut the movie in theatrical release in the spring of 2017.
The Petit Film/Rouge International/FraKas Productions film world-premiered at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival in the International Critics’ Week section, where it won the Fipresci Prize.
Press Release: Los Angeles, July 5th, 2016 – Affirming its commitment to specialty and foreign films, Focus World, the multiplatform distribution initiative owned and operated by Focus Features, has acquired from Wild Bunch most worldwide territories on writer/director Julia Ducournau’s psychological horror thriller Raw. Focus World has firmed global rights to the movie for Focus Features release internationally, excluding France, Israel, Czech and Slovak Republics, Benelux, former Yugoslavia, Latin America, Greece, Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., Focus World will debut the movie in theatrical release in the spring of 2017.
The Petit Film/Rouge International/FraKas Productions film world-premiered at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival in the International Critics’ Week section, where it won the Fipresci Prize.
- 7/5/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Focus World, the multiplatform distribution initiative owned and operated by Focus Features, has acquired U.S. rights to Academy Award winner Natalie Portman’s feature directorial debut A Tale Of Love And Darkness. Focus World will open the movie in a platform theatrical release later this year.
A Tale Of Love And Darkness is based on the acclaimed and award-winning memoir of the same name by Amos Oz, one of Israel’s most celebrated writers. Ms. Portman wrote the screenplay adaptation, and stars in the film with Amir Tessler and Gilad Kahana.
A Tale Of Love And Darkness is an intimate family drama set against the backdrop of war-torn Jerusalem just a few years after World War II. The story is told through the eyes of a young boy whose coming-of-age is shaped by a devastating family tragedy, and by a turbulent and changing world as the state of Israel is born.
A Tale Of Love And Darkness is based on the acclaimed and award-winning memoir of the same name by Amos Oz, one of Israel’s most celebrated writers. Ms. Portman wrote the screenplay adaptation, and stars in the film with Amir Tessler and Gilad Kahana.
A Tale Of Love And Darkness is an intimate family drama set against the backdrop of war-torn Jerusalem just a few years after World War II. The story is told through the eyes of a young boy whose coming-of-age is shaped by a devastating family tragedy, and by a turbulent and changing world as the state of Israel is born.
- 3/7/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Focus World has acquired U.S. rights Natalie Portman‘s feature directorial debut “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” it was announced Monday. Based on a memoir by Israeli writer Amos Oz, the film follows a young mother (Portman) struggling with depression as she raises her son (Amir Tessler) against the backdrop of the birth of Israel. The Hebrew-language film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May and will receive a platform theatrical release later this year. Focus World hopes the film will compete for the foreign language Oscar next year. Also Read: Jennifer Jason Leigh in Talks to Join Natalie Portman in.
- 3/7/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Focus Features’ multiplatform label Focus World has acquired U.S. rights to Natalie Portman’s feature directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness, which premiered at Cannes last year. Focus World will open the movie in a platform theatrical release later this year in contention for the Oscars. The film is based on Amos Oz’s bestselling memoir about his childhood growing up against the backdrop of the latter days of Mandate Palestine and the creation of the state of…...
- 3/7/2016
- Deadline
Now in its 26th year, Washington Jewish Film Festival (February 24 – March 6) explores gender, migration, the supernatural, Arab citizens of Israel, artists’ lives, and Lgbtq themes. In addition to the groundbreaking lineup of films, the Festival will host talkbacks and panel discussions with over 50 domestic and international filmmaker guests. The Festival is one of the region’s preeminent showcases for international and independent cinema.
A project of the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center (Dcjcc), the Washington Jewish Film Festival (Wjff) is the largest Jewish cultural event in the greater Washington, D.C. area. This year’s Festival includes 69 films and over 150 screenings at the AFI Silver Theatre, the Avalon Theatre, Bethesda Row Cinema, E Street Cinema, the Jcc of Greater Washington, the National Gallery of Art, West End Cinema, and the Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater at the Dcjcc.
“We are excited to present our most ambitious Festival yet,” said Ilya Tovbis, Director of the Washington Jewish Film Festival. “The Washington Jewish Film Festival is a highlight on our city’s cultural calendar. This has been a banner year for original cinematic visions hitting the screen. It is a genuine pleasure to share this crop of bold, independent, film voices that have been garnering praise at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and elsewhere, with DC audiences. This year’s Festival simultaneously challenges and expands on our understanding of Jewish identity.”
The lineup includes new and classic films, encompassing a wide range of Jewish perspectives from the United States, Israel, Europe, Asia, and Africa. While the Festival touches a broad set of themes, this year’s lineup offers two programmatic focuses – one on the lives of artists (“Re-framing the Artists”) and the other on Lgbtq individuals (“Rated Lgbtq”). “Reframing the Artist” features an in-depth exploration of artists’ lives, accomplishments, and inspiration. The seven-film “Rated Lgbtq” series explores sexuality, gender, and identity on screen.
The Festival will also engage attendees with off-screen programming including “Story District Presents: God Loves You? True Stories about Faith and Sexuality,” an evening of true stories presented in partnership with Story District, and the 6th Annual Community Education Day on Arab Citizens of Israel. Kicked off by a screening of "Women in Sink," this day features in-depth conversations with Reem Younis, co-founder of Nazareth-based global high-tech company Alpha Omega, and Tziona Koenig-Yair, Israel’s first Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner.
A full Festival schedule can be found at www.wjff.org . Select highlights are included below:
Opening Night: "Baba Joon"
Opening Night features Israel’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award®, "Baba Joon," a tender tale of a generational divide and the immigrant experience. Yitzhak (Navid Negahban of Showtime’s Emmy Award-winning original series “Homeland”) runs the turkey farm his father built after they emigrated from Iran to Israel.
When his son Moti turns 13, Yitzhak teaches him the trade in hopes that he will take over the family business — but Moti’s dreams lie elsewhere. The arrival of an uncle from America further ratchets up the tension and the family’s tight bonds are put to the test. Opening Night will be held at the AFI Silver Theatre on Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. The Opening Night Party, with DirectorYuval Delshad, will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza immediately following the screening.
Closing Night : "A Tale of Love and Darkness"
Closing Night centers on Academy Award®-winning actress Natalie Portman in her debut as a director (and screenwriter) in a hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Amos Oz’s best-selling memoir, "A Tale of Love and Darkness." In this dream-like tale, Portman inhabits Fania—Oz’s mother—who brings up her son in Jerusalem during the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel. Dissatisfied with her marriage, and disoriented by the foreign land surrounding her, Fania escapes into elaborate, fanciful stories of make-believe — bringing her adoring, wide-eyed son along. Closing Night will be held at the Dcjcc on Sunday, March 6 at 6:45 p.m. Followed by a Closing Night Reception and the Audience Award Ceremony.
Wjff Visionary Award Presented to Armin Mueller-Stahl
The Wjff’s Annual Visionary Award recognizes creativity and insight in presenting the full diversity of the Jewish experience through moving image. The 2016 honoree is Armin Mueller-Stahl, who will join us for a special extended Q&A and the presentation of the Wjff Visionary Award. The award will be presented alongside a screening of Barry Levinson’s 1990 film "Avalon," an evocative, nostalgic film that celebrates the virtues of family life. “Avalon” begins with Jewish immigrant Sam Krichinsky (portrayed by Armin Mueller-Stahl) arriving in America on July 4th. He settles in Baltimore with his brothers and raises a family. Director Barry Levinson traces various transitions within the Krichinsky family and conveys his appreciation for the anxieties that afflict the suburban middle-class – and multiple generations of immigrants in particular.
Armin Mueller-Stahl is a German actor, painter, writer and musician. He began acting in East Berlin in 1950, winning the Gdr State Prize for his film work. By 1977, however, he was blacklisted by the communist regime due to his persistent activism in protesting government suppression of the arts. After relocating to the West in 1980, he starred in groundbreaking independent European films, such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s “Lola” and “Veronika Voss” and Agnieszka Holland’s “Angry Harvest.” He gained major recognition stateside with two radically different characterizations: an aging Nazi war criminal in Costa-Gavras’ “The Music Box” and Jewish grandpa Sam Krischinsky in Barry Levinson’s “Avalon.” He went on to earn an Oscar® nomination for his role in Scott Hicks’ Shine and appeared in such varied work as “Eastern Promises,” “The Game,” “The West Wing,” “The X Files” and “Knight of Cups.”
The Wjff Visionary Award program will take place at the AFI Silver Theatre on Thursday, March 3 at 6:45 p.m.
Spotlight Evening:
Compared to What? The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank
A polarizing, revolutionary, effective and a most-singular figure in American politics, Barney Frank shaped the debate around progressive values and gay rights in the U.S. Congress for over 40 years. A fresh and contemporary political drama with unparalleled access to one of Congress’ first openly gay Representatives and easily one of the most captivating public figures in recent memory.
Born Jewish, and a longtime friend to the Jewish community and supporter of Israel, Frank is refreshingly honest, likeable and passionate – a beacon of statesmanship that politicians and citizens alike, can look to for inspiration.
Screenings will take place on Tuesday, March 1st at the Avalon Theatre at 6:15 p.m. and Wednesday, March 2 at the Dcjcc at 6:15 p.m. Both screenings followed by a discussion with Barney Frank, husband Jim Ready and filmmakers Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler.
Spotlight Evening:
Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei: Music From Max Fleischer Cartoons
Celebrating the release of the titular album—on Silver Spring-based label Cuneiform—legendary guitarist Gary Lucas joins forces with Tony®-nominated singer and actress Sarah Stiles (Q Street,Hand to God) for a loving musical tribute to the swinging, jazzy soundtracks that adorned master animator Max Fleischer’s surreal, wacky and Yiddish-inflected "Betty Boop" and "Popeye" cartoons of the 1930’s.
Backed by the cartoons themselves, and the cream of NYC’s jazz performers (Jeff Lederer on reeds, Michael Bates on bass, Rob Garcia on drums and Mingus Big Band’s Joe Fiedler on trombone), Lucas and Stiles have a rare evening in store. Get ready for a swirling melting-pot of jungle-band jazz, Tin Pan Alley torch songs, raucous vaudeville turns, and Dixieland mixed with a pinch of Klezmer.
This event will take place at AFI Silver Theatre on Saturday, March 5 at 8:30 p.m.
Additional Films of Note
The Wjff will present the mid-Atlantic premiere of "Barash." In the film, seventeen-year-old Naama Barash enjoys drugs, alcohol and hanging out with like-minded friends. Her activities are an escape from a strained home life where her parents fight and her rebellious, army-enrolled sister wreaks havoc by dating a Palestinian before going Awol all together. As her parents fret about their older daughter’s disappearance, Naama meets a wild girl in school and discovers the intoxicating rush of first love. “Barash” will be screened three times during the festival, on February 27 at 8:45 p.m. at E Street Cinema, on March 2 at 8:45 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre and on March 3 at 6:15 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema.
"Black Jews: The Roots of the Olive Tree" will have its World Premiere at Wjff. The documentary offers a fascinating exploration of African tribes with Jewish roots – in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon. Some claim to be descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes; others believe their ancestors were Jews who immigrated from Judea to Yemen. Far from a dry archaeological account, the film focuses on the modern-day personal and institutional practice of Judaism throughout Africa, as well as of recent African immigrants in Israel. This film will be screened on March 2 at 6:45 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and on March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at E Street Cinema.
The mid-Atlantic premiere of "Demon," from director Marcin Wrona, features a chilling, modern interpretation of the Dybbuk legend. Piotr’s joy at visiting his bride-to-be at her Polish home is quickly upended by his discovery of human bones on the property. Since his future father-in-law plans to gift the newlyweds the land, Piotr at first overlooks this ominous find. The disturbed spirit inhabiting these remains isn’t willing to let him off so easily however. Marcin Wrona’s wickedly sharp and creepy story of possession is set against a bacchanal celebration of blissful union. “Demon” will be screened on February 25th at 8:45 p.m. at E Street Cinema and on March 1 at 9:15 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre.
From Spain, the mid-Atlantic premiere of "Dirty Wolves" is a WWII thriller imbued with notes of magical realism. Director Simón Casal works in the Wolfram (aka tungsten) mines in rural Galicia. A ruthless Nazi brigade, intent on harvesting the rare metal to feed the Third Reich’s war machine, has captured the mines. When Manuela’s sister helps a Jewish prisoner cross the border to Portugal, they are unwittingly forced into a desperate test, which puts their survival squarely at odds with their sense of justice. “Dirty Wolves” will be screened on February 27 at 6:15 p.m. at West End Cinema, on March 1 at 8:45 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre and on March 2 at 6:45 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre.
In "The Hebrew Superhero," directors Saul Betser and Asaf Galay examine how Israelis long shunned comics as something on the cultural fringe – they were deemed childish, trivial and, perhaps most cuttingly, un-Israeli. Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay (“The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer”) outline the medium’s origins, tracing its evolution from quirky upstart to an indelible reflection on the various forms of Israeli heroes. Featuring gorgeous animation and interviews with Daniella London Dekel, Etgar Keret and Dudu Geva, Wjff is presenting the mid-Atlantic premiere of this documentary, which will be screened on February 25 at 7:15 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theatre, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 3 at 8:30 p.m. at E Street Cinema.
Simone Veil’s intrepid fight to legalize abortion in France is brilliantly brought to life in "The Law." In 1974, Veil was charged with decriminalizing abortion and easing access to contraceptives. Facing strong opposition from politicians, an enraged public and the Catholic Church, Veil— an Auschwitz survivor—refused to give up. Fighting for justice amidst a swirl of anti-Semitic sentiment, sexism and personal attacks, her perseverance struck at the heart of national bigotry in a rallying cry for a woman’s right to choose. Wjff will present the D.C. premiere of this French film. It will be screened on February 25 at 8:15 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema, on February 29 at 8:45 p.m. at E Street Cinema and on March 5 at 4:45 p.m. at the Dcjcc.
At 90, Miriam Beerman is a survivor. This groundbreaking artist and Potomac, Maryland resident has overcome personal tragedy to inspire friends, family, peers, patrons and students about how to remain defiant, creative and strong. Miriam has struggled with her artistic demons to create haunting images that evoke the suffering of generations of victims. "Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaosis" a memorable profile of an artist who has elevated her empathy for the plight of the world’s cast-offs into powerful portrayals of dignity. The Wjff is hosting the mid-Atlantic premiere of this documentary. Screenings will take place on March 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 3 at 6:15 p.m. at the Dcjcc.
Author and director David Bezmozgis brings his film "Natasha" to Wjff for its D.C. premiere. Adapting his prize-winning story collection,Natasha and Other Stories, to screen, Bezmogis delivers a tragic story of young love. Sixteen-year-old Mark Berman, the son of Latvian-Jewish immigrants, wiles away his hours reading Nietzsche, smoking pot and watching porn. His slacker lifestyle is upended when a 14-year-old hurricane, named Natasha, enters the picture. Drawn to her reckless ways and whispers of her promiscuous past, Mark enters an illicit romance with calamitous consequences. Screenings will take place on February 28 at 5:00 p.m. at West End Cinema, March 3 at 8:30 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 5 at 6:15 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre.
If you believe the fastest way to the heart is through the stomach, "In Search of Israeli Cuisine" offers a delectable, eye-popping culinary journey through Israel is your personal valentine. Weaving through bustling markets, restaurants, kitchens and farms, we meet cooks, vintners and cheese makers drawn from the wide gamut of cultures making up Israel today — Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian and Druze. With James Beard award-winning chef Michael Solomonov as your guide, get ready for a cinematic buffet that’s humorous, heady, and of course, delicious! Wjff will be showing the mid-Atlantic premiere of this new documentary. Screenings will take place on February 28 at 5:15 p.m. at E Street Cinema, March 1 at 8:15 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 4 at 12:30 p.m. at the Dcjcc.
A complete festival schedule can be found online at www.wjff.org...
A project of the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center (Dcjcc), the Washington Jewish Film Festival (Wjff) is the largest Jewish cultural event in the greater Washington, D.C. area. This year’s Festival includes 69 films and over 150 screenings at the AFI Silver Theatre, the Avalon Theatre, Bethesda Row Cinema, E Street Cinema, the Jcc of Greater Washington, the National Gallery of Art, West End Cinema, and the Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater at the Dcjcc.
“We are excited to present our most ambitious Festival yet,” said Ilya Tovbis, Director of the Washington Jewish Film Festival. “The Washington Jewish Film Festival is a highlight on our city’s cultural calendar. This has been a banner year for original cinematic visions hitting the screen. It is a genuine pleasure to share this crop of bold, independent, film voices that have been garnering praise at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and elsewhere, with DC audiences. This year’s Festival simultaneously challenges and expands on our understanding of Jewish identity.”
The lineup includes new and classic films, encompassing a wide range of Jewish perspectives from the United States, Israel, Europe, Asia, and Africa. While the Festival touches a broad set of themes, this year’s lineup offers two programmatic focuses – one on the lives of artists (“Re-framing the Artists”) and the other on Lgbtq individuals (“Rated Lgbtq”). “Reframing the Artist” features an in-depth exploration of artists’ lives, accomplishments, and inspiration. The seven-film “Rated Lgbtq” series explores sexuality, gender, and identity on screen.
The Festival will also engage attendees with off-screen programming including “Story District Presents: God Loves You? True Stories about Faith and Sexuality,” an evening of true stories presented in partnership with Story District, and the 6th Annual Community Education Day on Arab Citizens of Israel. Kicked off by a screening of "Women in Sink," this day features in-depth conversations with Reem Younis, co-founder of Nazareth-based global high-tech company Alpha Omega, and Tziona Koenig-Yair, Israel’s first Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner.
A full Festival schedule can be found at www.wjff.org . Select highlights are included below:
Opening Night: "Baba Joon"
Opening Night features Israel’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award®, "Baba Joon," a tender tale of a generational divide and the immigrant experience. Yitzhak (Navid Negahban of Showtime’s Emmy Award-winning original series “Homeland”) runs the turkey farm his father built after they emigrated from Iran to Israel.
When his son Moti turns 13, Yitzhak teaches him the trade in hopes that he will take over the family business — but Moti’s dreams lie elsewhere. The arrival of an uncle from America further ratchets up the tension and the family’s tight bonds are put to the test. Opening Night will be held at the AFI Silver Theatre on Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. The Opening Night Party, with DirectorYuval Delshad, will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza immediately following the screening.
Closing Night : "A Tale of Love and Darkness"
Closing Night centers on Academy Award®-winning actress Natalie Portman in her debut as a director (and screenwriter) in a hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Amos Oz’s best-selling memoir, "A Tale of Love and Darkness." In this dream-like tale, Portman inhabits Fania—Oz’s mother—who brings up her son in Jerusalem during the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the early years of the State of Israel. Dissatisfied with her marriage, and disoriented by the foreign land surrounding her, Fania escapes into elaborate, fanciful stories of make-believe — bringing her adoring, wide-eyed son along. Closing Night will be held at the Dcjcc on Sunday, March 6 at 6:45 p.m. Followed by a Closing Night Reception and the Audience Award Ceremony.
Wjff Visionary Award Presented to Armin Mueller-Stahl
The Wjff’s Annual Visionary Award recognizes creativity and insight in presenting the full diversity of the Jewish experience through moving image. The 2016 honoree is Armin Mueller-Stahl, who will join us for a special extended Q&A and the presentation of the Wjff Visionary Award. The award will be presented alongside a screening of Barry Levinson’s 1990 film "Avalon," an evocative, nostalgic film that celebrates the virtues of family life. “Avalon” begins with Jewish immigrant Sam Krichinsky (portrayed by Armin Mueller-Stahl) arriving in America on July 4th. He settles in Baltimore with his brothers and raises a family. Director Barry Levinson traces various transitions within the Krichinsky family and conveys his appreciation for the anxieties that afflict the suburban middle-class – and multiple generations of immigrants in particular.
Armin Mueller-Stahl is a German actor, painter, writer and musician. He began acting in East Berlin in 1950, winning the Gdr State Prize for his film work. By 1977, however, he was blacklisted by the communist regime due to his persistent activism in protesting government suppression of the arts. After relocating to the West in 1980, he starred in groundbreaking independent European films, such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s “Lola” and “Veronika Voss” and Agnieszka Holland’s “Angry Harvest.” He gained major recognition stateside with two radically different characterizations: an aging Nazi war criminal in Costa-Gavras’ “The Music Box” and Jewish grandpa Sam Krischinsky in Barry Levinson’s “Avalon.” He went on to earn an Oscar® nomination for his role in Scott Hicks’ Shine and appeared in such varied work as “Eastern Promises,” “The Game,” “The West Wing,” “The X Files” and “Knight of Cups.”
The Wjff Visionary Award program will take place at the AFI Silver Theatre on Thursday, March 3 at 6:45 p.m.
Spotlight Evening:
Compared to What? The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank
A polarizing, revolutionary, effective and a most-singular figure in American politics, Barney Frank shaped the debate around progressive values and gay rights in the U.S. Congress for over 40 years. A fresh and contemporary political drama with unparalleled access to one of Congress’ first openly gay Representatives and easily one of the most captivating public figures in recent memory.
Born Jewish, and a longtime friend to the Jewish community and supporter of Israel, Frank is refreshingly honest, likeable and passionate – a beacon of statesmanship that politicians and citizens alike, can look to for inspiration.
Screenings will take place on Tuesday, March 1st at the Avalon Theatre at 6:15 p.m. and Wednesday, March 2 at the Dcjcc at 6:15 p.m. Both screenings followed by a discussion with Barney Frank, husband Jim Ready and filmmakers Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler.
Spotlight Evening:
Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei: Music From Max Fleischer Cartoons
Celebrating the release of the titular album—on Silver Spring-based label Cuneiform—legendary guitarist Gary Lucas joins forces with Tony®-nominated singer and actress Sarah Stiles (Q Street,Hand to God) for a loving musical tribute to the swinging, jazzy soundtracks that adorned master animator Max Fleischer’s surreal, wacky and Yiddish-inflected "Betty Boop" and "Popeye" cartoons of the 1930’s.
Backed by the cartoons themselves, and the cream of NYC’s jazz performers (Jeff Lederer on reeds, Michael Bates on bass, Rob Garcia on drums and Mingus Big Band’s Joe Fiedler on trombone), Lucas and Stiles have a rare evening in store. Get ready for a swirling melting-pot of jungle-band jazz, Tin Pan Alley torch songs, raucous vaudeville turns, and Dixieland mixed with a pinch of Klezmer.
This event will take place at AFI Silver Theatre on Saturday, March 5 at 8:30 p.m.
Additional Films of Note
The Wjff will present the mid-Atlantic premiere of "Barash." In the film, seventeen-year-old Naama Barash enjoys drugs, alcohol and hanging out with like-minded friends. Her activities are an escape from a strained home life where her parents fight and her rebellious, army-enrolled sister wreaks havoc by dating a Palestinian before going Awol all together. As her parents fret about their older daughter’s disappearance, Naama meets a wild girl in school and discovers the intoxicating rush of first love. “Barash” will be screened three times during the festival, on February 27 at 8:45 p.m. at E Street Cinema, on March 2 at 8:45 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre and on March 3 at 6:15 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema.
"Black Jews: The Roots of the Olive Tree" will have its World Premiere at Wjff. The documentary offers a fascinating exploration of African tribes with Jewish roots – in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon. Some claim to be descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes; others believe their ancestors were Jews who immigrated from Judea to Yemen. Far from a dry archaeological account, the film focuses on the modern-day personal and institutional practice of Judaism throughout Africa, as well as of recent African immigrants in Israel. This film will be screened on March 2 at 6:45 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and on March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at E Street Cinema.
The mid-Atlantic premiere of "Demon," from director Marcin Wrona, features a chilling, modern interpretation of the Dybbuk legend. Piotr’s joy at visiting his bride-to-be at her Polish home is quickly upended by his discovery of human bones on the property. Since his future father-in-law plans to gift the newlyweds the land, Piotr at first overlooks this ominous find. The disturbed spirit inhabiting these remains isn’t willing to let him off so easily however. Marcin Wrona’s wickedly sharp and creepy story of possession is set against a bacchanal celebration of blissful union. “Demon” will be screened on February 25th at 8:45 p.m. at E Street Cinema and on March 1 at 9:15 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre.
From Spain, the mid-Atlantic premiere of "Dirty Wolves" is a WWII thriller imbued with notes of magical realism. Director Simón Casal works in the Wolfram (aka tungsten) mines in rural Galicia. A ruthless Nazi brigade, intent on harvesting the rare metal to feed the Third Reich’s war machine, has captured the mines. When Manuela’s sister helps a Jewish prisoner cross the border to Portugal, they are unwittingly forced into a desperate test, which puts their survival squarely at odds with their sense of justice. “Dirty Wolves” will be screened on February 27 at 6:15 p.m. at West End Cinema, on March 1 at 8:45 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre and on March 2 at 6:45 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre.
In "The Hebrew Superhero," directors Saul Betser and Asaf Galay examine how Israelis long shunned comics as something on the cultural fringe – they were deemed childish, trivial and, perhaps most cuttingly, un-Israeli. Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay (“The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer”) outline the medium’s origins, tracing its evolution from quirky upstart to an indelible reflection on the various forms of Israeli heroes. Featuring gorgeous animation and interviews with Daniella London Dekel, Etgar Keret and Dudu Geva, Wjff is presenting the mid-Atlantic premiere of this documentary, which will be screened on February 25 at 7:15 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theatre, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 3 at 8:30 p.m. at E Street Cinema.
Simone Veil’s intrepid fight to legalize abortion in France is brilliantly brought to life in "The Law." In 1974, Veil was charged with decriminalizing abortion and easing access to contraceptives. Facing strong opposition from politicians, an enraged public and the Catholic Church, Veil— an Auschwitz survivor—refused to give up. Fighting for justice amidst a swirl of anti-Semitic sentiment, sexism and personal attacks, her perseverance struck at the heart of national bigotry in a rallying cry for a woman’s right to choose. Wjff will present the D.C. premiere of this French film. It will be screened on February 25 at 8:15 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema, on February 29 at 8:45 p.m. at E Street Cinema and on March 5 at 4:45 p.m. at the Dcjcc.
At 90, Miriam Beerman is a survivor. This groundbreaking artist and Potomac, Maryland resident has overcome personal tragedy to inspire friends, family, peers, patrons and students about how to remain defiant, creative and strong. Miriam has struggled with her artistic demons to create haunting images that evoke the suffering of generations of victims. "Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaosis" a memorable profile of an artist who has elevated her empathy for the plight of the world’s cast-offs into powerful portrayals of dignity. The Wjff is hosting the mid-Atlantic premiere of this documentary. Screenings will take place on March 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 3 at 6:15 p.m. at the Dcjcc.
Author and director David Bezmozgis brings his film "Natasha" to Wjff for its D.C. premiere. Adapting his prize-winning story collection,Natasha and Other Stories, to screen, Bezmogis delivers a tragic story of young love. Sixteen-year-old Mark Berman, the son of Latvian-Jewish immigrants, wiles away his hours reading Nietzsche, smoking pot and watching porn. His slacker lifestyle is upended when a 14-year-old hurricane, named Natasha, enters the picture. Drawn to her reckless ways and whispers of her promiscuous past, Mark enters an illicit romance with calamitous consequences. Screenings will take place on February 28 at 5:00 p.m. at West End Cinema, March 3 at 8:30 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 5 at 6:15 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre.
If you believe the fastest way to the heart is through the stomach, "In Search of Israeli Cuisine" offers a delectable, eye-popping culinary journey through Israel is your personal valentine. Weaving through bustling markets, restaurants, kitchens and farms, we meet cooks, vintners and cheese makers drawn from the wide gamut of cultures making up Israel today — Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian and Druze. With James Beard award-winning chef Michael Solomonov as your guide, get ready for a cinematic buffet that’s humorous, heady, and of course, delicious! Wjff will be showing the mid-Atlantic premiere of this new documentary. Screenings will take place on February 28 at 5:15 p.m. at E Street Cinema, March 1 at 8:15 p.m. at Bethesda Row Cinema and March 4 at 12:30 p.m. at the Dcjcc.
A complete festival schedule can be found online at www.wjff.org...
- 1/15/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Update: An updated A Tale of Love and Darkness trailer with English subtitles has just been released, and you can check it out after the jump. Original story from 08/12/2015 follows. For her feature directorial debut, Natalie Portman also wrote and starred in A Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of the autobiographical novel by Amos Oz, […]
The post ‘A Tale of Love And Darkness’ Trailer: See Natalie Portman’s Feature Directorial Debut [Updated] appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘A Tale of Love And Darkness’ Trailer: See Natalie Portman’s Feature Directorial Debut [Updated] appeared first on /Film.
- 10/16/2015
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
In 1967, Amos Oz interviewed Israeli soldiers as they returned victorious from war. This documentary at last lets them explain why they were so depressed
Related: Israeli veterans recall horrors of country’s victory in six-day war
Mor Loushy’s film is about a long-withheld piece of oral history: a series of tape-recorded interviews conducted by the writer and novelist Amos Oz with returning Israeli soldiers after his country’s stunning victory in the six-day war of 1967, which gave Israel triumph and territorial gains over three encircling enemies: Syria, Egypt and Jordan. But the soldiers Oz talks to are notably lacking in euphoria, and are instead profoundly depressed about what the great victory cost. Oz did not get permission to publish the majority of his transcripts. His interviewees had been first-hand witnesses to the fact that military gains of that magnitude are never achieved without huge enemy fatalities, combatants and non-combatants,...
Related: Israeli veterans recall horrors of country’s victory in six-day war
Mor Loushy’s film is about a long-withheld piece of oral history: a series of tape-recorded interviews conducted by the writer and novelist Amos Oz with returning Israeli soldiers after his country’s stunning victory in the six-day war of 1967, which gave Israel triumph and territorial gains over three encircling enemies: Syria, Egypt and Jordan. But the soldiers Oz talks to are notably lacking in euphoria, and are instead profoundly depressed about what the great victory cost. Oz did not get permission to publish the majority of his transcripts. His interviewees had been first-hand witnesses to the fact that military gains of that magnitude are never achieved without huge enemy fatalities, combatants and non-combatants,...
- 10/15/2015
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Yuval Delshad’s debut centres on a a family of Iranian immigrants.
Fresh from its Toronto world premiere and still unreleased at home, Yuval Delshad’s debut feature, Baba Joon beat all the competition in sight to be crowned Israel’s best film of the year at the annual Israeli Film Academy Awards ceremony.
As such, it will represent Israel for next year’s Foreign Language Oscars.
Delshad’s Farsi-spoken drama portraying the conflicts inside a family of Iranian immigrants living off a turkey farm in the south of Israel picked up five Ophir awards, including best film, best music, best cinematography, production design and casting.
Significantly, all three of the film’s adult leads, including Navid Negabhan (Homeland) are non-Israeli Iranian actors living in the West.
Sharing second place, Erez Tadmor’s Eretz Petzhuah (Wounded Land), took home three awards for best director, best actor and best make-up while Elad Keidan’s Hayored lemaala (Afterthought) collected...
Fresh from its Toronto world premiere and still unreleased at home, Yuval Delshad’s debut feature, Baba Joon beat all the competition in sight to be crowned Israel’s best film of the year at the annual Israeli Film Academy Awards ceremony.
As such, it will represent Israel for next year’s Foreign Language Oscars.
Delshad’s Farsi-spoken drama portraying the conflicts inside a family of Iranian immigrants living off a turkey farm in the south of Israel picked up five Ophir awards, including best film, best music, best cinematography, production design and casting.
Significantly, all three of the film’s adult leads, including Navid Negabhan (Homeland) are non-Israeli Iranian actors living in the West.
Sharing second place, Erez Tadmor’s Eretz Petzhuah (Wounded Land), took home three awards for best director, best actor and best make-up while Elad Keidan’s Hayored lemaala (Afterthought) collected...
- 9/22/2015
- by dfainaru@netvision.net.il (Edna Fainaru)
- ScreenDaily
Since winning her Oscar for “Black Swan,” in 2011, it feels like Natalie Portman’s been quiet: the only theatrically-released movies she’s appeared in since then were the two “Thor” films and “Your Highness,” two of which were shot before “Black Swan” was released. But though it might not seem that way, she’s been very busy, first with the birth of her child, then with a series of long-delayed projects (two films for Terence Malick, including “Knight Of Cups,” which screened at Berlin but won’t go on release til next year, plus “Jane Got A Gun,” which is still in limbo over two years after it started filming), and her directorial debut, the Amos Oz adaptation “A Tale Of Love And Darkness.” Portman has been at Tiff with the film this week (read our review), and the actress has been talking about the movie, discussing with Screen Daily...
- 9/11/2015
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
★★★☆☆ Tackling the period surrounding the British Mandate for Palestine and the subsequent formation of the State of Israeli is a very brave choice for a directorial debut. With A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015), Natalie Portman has not just taken on the challenge but also adapted Amos Oz's autobiographical memoirs in such a way as to attempt to present less-than-straightforward positions around a still incredibly contentious issue. There are undoubtedly kinks to iron out - the film has a particular problem with pacing during a section that requires careful handling - but this is a handsome and assured feature and certainly suggests a bright future behind the camera for Portman, who also stars.
Portman plays Oz's mother, Fania; an effervescent woman who died at the tragically young age of 38. The centre of her son's world, she is the primary focus of the narrative which is presented through the memory...
Portman plays Oz's mother, Fania; an effervescent woman who died at the tragically young age of 38. The centre of her son's world, she is the primary focus of the narrative which is presented through the memory...
- 9/11/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
The actress talked to artistic director Cameron Bailey about her film-making debut and being inspired by her previous directors
To kick off its 40th year, the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20) hosted a soirée celebration at Reitman Square, during which artistic director Cameron Bailey had an in-depth conversation with guest of honour Natalie Portman about her life and career.
The Academy Award winner is in Toronto for the North American premiere of her feature debut as a writer-director, A Tale Of Love And Darkness.
After reading Amos Oz’s autobiographical book of the same name - about his upbringing in Israel and having to bear witness to his mother’s declining mental state - Portman was inspired to make the transition from actor to director.
“I had been thinking about making it for a really long time,” she told Bailey. “I read the book [originally published in Hebrew] when it came up in translation in the Us in 2004, and it was...
To kick off its 40th year, the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20) hosted a soirée celebration at Reitman Square, during which artistic director Cameron Bailey had an in-depth conversation with guest of honour Natalie Portman about her life and career.
The Academy Award winner is in Toronto for the North American premiere of her feature debut as a writer-director, A Tale Of Love And Darkness.
After reading Amos Oz’s autobiographical book of the same name - about his upbringing in Israel and having to bear witness to his mother’s declining mental state - Portman was inspired to make the transition from actor to director.
“I had been thinking about making it for a really long time,” she told Bailey. “I read the book [originally published in Hebrew] when it came up in translation in the Us in 2004, and it was...
- 9/10/2015
- ScreenDaily
Amos Oz is the author of twenty novels, many more works of non-fiction and short stories, and is easily Israel’s most famous literary export. He's been published in over forty countries, has received awards around the world, and has been very vocal about the political situation in his native country. His is a rich, complicated, celebrated and controversial life, but if you have no foreknowledge of Oz, it’s very hard to become invested in Natalie Portman’s directorial debut “A Tale Of Love And Darkness.” Based on Oz’s autobiographical novel, the film takes place across a few short years just after the Second World War, as his family settles and adjusts to life in Jerusalem. It’s a turbulent time, as politics swirl around the formation of the state of Israel, but the center of young Amos’ (Amir Tessler) world is his mother, Fania (Portman). It’s her love and guidance,...
- 9/10/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Focus World has acquired U.S. rights to Natalie Portman's feature directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness. The film, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, was sold by CAA and will be launched as a foreign-language contender for Oscars 2017. Focus World will open the movie in a platform theatrical release later this year. Based on a memoir by Amos Oz, one of Israel’s most lauded writers, the film centers on a young mother (Portman) raising the young Oz (Amir Tessler) against the backdrop of the birth of Israel. Oz's mother
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- 9/9/2015
- by Tatiana Siegel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Natalie Portman has stepped behind the camera to direct A Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of Amos Oz’s memoir about the birth of Israel and the impact that it had on his family. A massive bestseller in Israel, the book details the suicide of Oz’s mother and the effect it had on the author, who grew up during the last years of the British mandate and went to live on a kibbutz at the age of 15.
- 8/21/2015
- The Independent - Film
After the initial slate for the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival was announced last month there were many observers, including this pundit, who wondered of the annual September event had once again lost the battle of premieres to its Fall festival cousins. While debuting Ridley Scott's "The Martian," Jean Marc Valle's "Demolition" and Michael Moore's "Where Do We Invade Next" is nothing to sneeze at the fact some of the most anticipated films of the year are heading to Venice and Telluride first has to be a bit disheartening. Especially when it's your 40th anniversary. Never fear fans of the Great White North, Toronto always seems to land some eyebrow raising last minute additions and this year is no different. Today Tiff announced that David Gordon Green's "Our Brand Is Crisis" with Sandra Bullock, Marc Abraham's "I Saw The Light" with Tom Hiddleston, Catherine Hardwicke's "Miss You Already...
- 8/19/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
While the Toronto International Film Festival showcases, among its lineups, genre films, Canadian films, and features from notable underseen filmmakers and countries, the festival has also become a premier destination for high-profile features, features that often go on to become major contenders during the awards circuit that follows after a few months. These films are often found in the Gala and Special Presentations Programme, with the Gala Programme focusing on films that garner interest among the festival goers. Special Presentations, on the other hand, showcases key premieres.
Following the first wave lineup announcement, the festival has now announced additions to both Programmes. Pace Cabezas’ Mr. Right will be the closing night film for the 2015 Festival. The full list of additions, along with the official synopsis of each film, can be seen below.
Gala
Disorder, directed by Alice Winocour, making its North American Premiere
In this masterfully engineered thriller, a young...
Following the first wave lineup announcement, the festival has now announced additions to both Programmes. Pace Cabezas’ Mr. Right will be the closing night film for the 2015 Festival. The full list of additions, along with the official synopsis of each film, can be seen below.
Gala
Disorder, directed by Alice Winocour, making its North American Premiere
In this masterfully engineered thriller, a young...
- 8/18/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
The Toronto International Film Festival has added 5 Galas and 19 Special Presentations to its huge and highly anticipated international lineup including the Closing Night Film, Paco Cabezas’s Mr. Right.
In July, it was announced that Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition will open the 2015 Festival. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper and Judah Lewis, Demolition will have its world premiere on September 10 at Roy Thomson Hall.
Toronto audiences will be among the first to screen films by directors Ridley Scott, Deepa Mehta, Lenny Abrahamson, Brian Helgeland, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, Jason Bateman, Cary Fukunaga, Catherine Corsini, Stephen Frears, Tom Hooper, Hany Abu-Assad, Meghna Gulzar, Terence Davies, Jonás Cuarón, Julie Delpy, Rebecca Miller, Rob Reiner, Catherine Hardwicke, Pan Nalin, Lorene Scafaria, David Gordon Green, Matthew Cullen, Gaby Dellal, James Vanderbilt and Marc Abraham.
The various films listed below star Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Gary Oldman, Toni Collette, Drew Barrymore,...
In July, it was announced that Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition will open the 2015 Festival. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper and Judah Lewis, Demolition will have its world premiere on September 10 at Roy Thomson Hall.
Toronto audiences will be among the first to screen films by directors Ridley Scott, Deepa Mehta, Lenny Abrahamson, Brian Helgeland, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, Jason Bateman, Cary Fukunaga, Catherine Corsini, Stephen Frears, Tom Hooper, Hany Abu-Assad, Meghna Gulzar, Terence Davies, Jonás Cuarón, Julie Delpy, Rebecca Miller, Rob Reiner, Catherine Hardwicke, Pan Nalin, Lorene Scafaria, David Gordon Green, Matthew Cullen, Gaby Dellal, James Vanderbilt and Marc Abraham.
The various films listed below star Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Gary Oldman, Toni Collette, Drew Barrymore,...
- 8/18/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Actress Natalie Portman is a veteran of the big screen, having already amassed two decades of experience since her feature film debut in Luc Besson’s 1994 film Léon: The Professional. Her subsequent career has seen her work with The Wachowskis, Mike Nichols, Wes Anderson, Michael Mann, Darren Aronofsky, and Anthony Minghella, and with Portman dipping her directorial toes in short films, many were curious to see if she’d make the jump to behind the camera for a feature film. Her latest feature will see her do just that.
Titled A Tale of Love and Darkness, Portman pulls triple duty on the film, as performer and director alongside writing the screenplay, adapted from the memoir by Amos Oz. The film’s synopsis is as follows.
A drama based on the memoir of Amos Oz, a writer, journalist, and advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The film is in Hebrew,...
Titled A Tale of Love and Darkness, Portman pulls triple duty on the film, as performer and director alongside writing the screenplay, adapted from the memoir by Amos Oz. The film’s synopsis is as follows.
A drama based on the memoir of Amos Oz, a writer, journalist, and advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The film is in Hebrew,...
- 8/14/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
Watch: Natalie Portman Seizes the Director's Chair in Striking 'A Tale of Love and Darkness' Trailer
Read More: Cannes Review: Natalie Portman's 'A Tale of Love and Darkness' is a Bland, Earnest Period Piece Taking a cue from other actors of her generation like Ryan Gosling, James Franco and Joel Edgerton, Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman is taking to the director's chair for the upcoming drama, "A Tale of Love and Darkness." Portman also stars in the film. Based on Amos Oz's novel of the same, the drama recounts the author's memories of growing up in Jerusalem with his academic father, Arieh, and his imaginative mother, Fania (Portman). While moving to Palestine from Europe in order to escape persecution, the terrors of war take their toll on the family, particularly Fania as she entertains her son with dreamy adventure stories to distract him from their bleak reality. A clip was released just ahead of the movie's Cannes premiere, and now the official...
- 8/13/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
You can't see it all at Cannes, and one movie our team on the ground missed was Natalie Portman's directorial debut, "A Tale Of Love And Darkness." It didn't exactly make the biggest waves on the Croisette, but it's still an intriguing one nonetheless, not only starring the actress, but marking her directorial debut as well. And the first international trailer gives us a taste of what it's all about. Based on the book by Amos Oz, the film tells the story of the author's youth and his relationship with his mother as it overlaps with the early years of the formation of the State of Israel. There are no English subtitles in this promo for the Hebrew language film, but you can get a sense of Portman's knack for visuals. No U.S. distributor or release date yet for this one, but with Portman slated to appear at...
- 8/13/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
On September 9, the eve of Toronto's opening day, Natalie Portman will grace the stage for the first annual Tiff Soirée, a starry (and rather pricey) charity event that will honor her illustrious career that began with 1994's "The Professional." An intimate onstage conversation with Portman will be followed by "musical performances and a cocktail" (just one?). One can assume we'll at some point see her directorial debut "A Tale of Love and Darkness," which premiered out-of-competition to mixed reactions at Cannes, at the festival. Read More: Natalie Portman Decides to Go Big or Go Home Natalie Portman lifted her Hebrew-language effort from Israeli scribe Amos Oz's 2002 memoir of the same name that chronicled his upbringing in Jerusalem during Israel's early days as a state. After she met Oz, whose mother she plays in the film, Portman spent eight years writing the movie and securing funding to keep it in Hebrew.
- 8/10/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Natalie Portman is tired of the massive Hollywood pay gap between men and women.
Portman spoke to Marie Claire about inequality that actresses often face, even when they're bigger stars than their male counterparts.
"There is an outrageous discrepancy between men and women in Hollywood," Portman explained. "Titanic is a huge hit and Leonardo DiCaprio immediately goes to $20m (£12.6m) per movie and Kate Winslet doesn't.
"But that feels totally like it's changing. Young women like Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart – they're the stars now. I don't even know who the guys are who are their age."
Portman is now a Hollywood veteran at the age of 34, and is turning her talents to directing the film version of Amos Oz's novel A Tale of Love and Darkness.
"I don't get panicky, I know the waves – sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's wild," she explained. "I feel like I've done so much,...
Portman spoke to Marie Claire about inequality that actresses often face, even when they're bigger stars than their male counterparts.
"There is an outrageous discrepancy between men and women in Hollywood," Portman explained. "Titanic is a huge hit and Leonardo DiCaprio immediately goes to $20m (£12.6m) per movie and Kate Winslet doesn't.
"But that feels totally like it's changing. Young women like Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart – they're the stars now. I don't even know who the guys are who are their age."
Portman is now a Hollywood veteran at the age of 34, and is turning her talents to directing the film version of Amos Oz's novel A Tale of Love and Darkness.
"I don't get panicky, I know the waves – sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's wild," she explained. "I feel like I've done so much,...
- 8/5/2015
- Digital Spy
Theodore Bikel. Theodore Bikel dead at 91: Oscar-nominated actor and folk singer best known for stage musicals 'The Sound of Music,' 'Fiddler on the Roof' Folk singer, social and union activist, and stage, film, and television actor Theodore Bikel, best remembered for starring in the Broadway musical The Sound of Music and, throughout the U.S., in Fiddler on the Roof, died Monday morning (July 20, '15) of "natural causes" at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. The Austrian-born Bikel – as Theodore Meir Bikel on May 2, 1924, in Vienna, to Yiddish-speaking Eastern European parents – was 91. Fled Hitler Thanks to his well-connected Zionist father, six months after the German annexation of Austria in March 1938 ("they were greeted with jubilation by the local populace," he would recall in 2012), the 14-year-old Bikel and his family fled to Palestine, at the time a British protectorate. While there, the teenager began acting on stage,...
- 7/23/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Black Swan star’s directoral debut – based on Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness – explores the ‘mythology’ surrounding the birth of the Jewish state. Is she ready for the inevitable backlash?
Natalie Portman is lugging a giant, heavy-looking sofa across the floor, to get away from what she mutters is the “brutal” heat of the sunlight beating down on the corner of a private beach club in Cannes. I feel I should help – I’m standing a few feet away, awaiting the signal to step forward – but the presence of one or two burly security staff nearby suggests I should stay damn well where I am. She’s dragging it while clad in the same fantastically flimsy Rodarte drapery and teetering high heels she wore for the film festival’s traditional photocall, a smidgeon of moxie underneath the carapace of glamour.
When the seating arrangements are aligned to her satisfaction,...
Natalie Portman is lugging a giant, heavy-looking sofa across the floor, to get away from what she mutters is the “brutal” heat of the sunlight beating down on the corner of a private beach club in Cannes. I feel I should help – I’m standing a few feet away, awaiting the signal to step forward – but the presence of one or two burly security staff nearby suggests I should stay damn well where I am. She’s dragging it while clad in the same fantastically flimsy Rodarte drapery and teetering high heels she wore for the film festival’s traditional photocall, a smidgeon of moxie underneath the carapace of glamour.
When the seating arrangements are aligned to her satisfaction,...
- 5/24/2015
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
The Black Swan star’s directoral debut – based on Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness – explores the ‘mythology’ surrounding the birth of the Jewish state. Is she ready for the inevitable backlash?
Natalie Portman is lugging a giant, heavy-looking sofa across the floor, to get away from what she mutters is the “brutal” heat of the sunlight beating down on the corner of a private beach club in Cannes. I feel I should help – I’m standing a few feet away, awaiting the signal to step forward – but the presence of one or two burly security staff nearby suggests I should stay damn well where I am. She’s dragging it while clad in the same fantastically flimsy Rodarte drapery and teetering high heels she wore for the film festival’s traditional photocall, a smidgeon of moxie underneath the carapace of glamour.
When the seating arrangements are aligned to her satisfaction,...
Natalie Portman is lugging a giant, heavy-looking sofa across the floor, to get away from what she mutters is the “brutal” heat of the sunlight beating down on the corner of a private beach club in Cannes. I feel I should help – I’m standing a few feet away, awaiting the signal to step forward – but the presence of one or two burly security staff nearby suggests I should stay damn well where I am. She’s dragging it while clad in the same fantastically flimsy Rodarte drapery and teetering high heels she wore for the film festival’s traditional photocall, a smidgeon of moxie underneath the carapace of glamour.
When the seating arrangements are aligned to her satisfaction,...
- 5/24/2015
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Natalie Portman's getting cheeky! The actress was spotted at a photocall for her new directorial debut, "A Tale of Love and Darkness" at the 68th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on Sunday. The Hebrew-language film -- which also stars the brunette beauty -- was adapted from the memoir of Amos Oz, an Israeli writer/journalist. Portman stunned at the event wearing a sheer, black Rodarte dress complete with colorful sequins. The "Black Swan" actress finished her look with black strappy sandals and wore her hair pinned-back in a braid. Natalie gave fans a real treat when she posed for photos from behind, and showed off her booty in the high-fashion number. It's definitely a rare racy red carpet moment from the Oscar-winner -- and we're loving it! The 33-year-old definitely has the body to pull this look off -- what do you think about Portman's sexy look?...
- 5/18/2015
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
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