WE'RE STILL BUILDING OUR MOVIE LIST!

Here are some films that we are considering.

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Paper Clips (2004 Documentary - Theme: Holocaust education 1hr 22m) Rated: G

As a part of their study of the Holocaust, the children of the Whitwell, TN Middle School try to collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis.

1) Ushpizin (2004 Drama) Theme: Sukkot 1hr 30m - Rated: PG

An Orthodox Jewish couple's faith is tested after praying to the Lord for a child on the Succoth holiday.

2) The Prince of Egypt (1998 Animated) Theme: The Exodus 1hr 39m - Rated: PG

Egyptian Prince Moses learns of his identity as a Hebrew and his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people.

3) Exodus (1960 Action, Drama) Theme: The founding of Israel 3hr 28m - not rated

The State of Israel is created in 1948, resulting in war with its Arab neighbors.

4) When Do We Eat (2005 Comedy) Theme: Passover 1hr 26m - Rated: R

A family's Passover gets screwy after the patriarch unknowingly ingests a hit of Ecstasy.

5) Jojo Rabbit (2019 Comedy, Satire, Drama) Theme: Holocaust 1hr 48m - Rated: PG-13

A young German boy in the Hitler Youth, whose hero and imaginary friend is the country's dictator, is shocked to discover that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

6) The Frisco Kid (1979 Comedy, Western, Adventure) Theme: Faith, friendship, perseverance 1hr 59m - Rated: PG

A Polish rabbi wanders through the Old West on his way to lead a synagogue in San Francisco. On the way, he is nearly burned at the stake by Native Americans and almost killed by outlaws.

7) Defiance (2008 Action, WWII) Theme: Jewish resistance 2hr 17m - Rated: R

Jewish brothers in German-occupied Eastern Europe escape into a Belorussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters, and endeavor to build a village, in order to protect themselves and about one thousand Jewish non-combatants

8) The Pianist (2002 Docudrama, Biography) Theme: Holocaust 2hr 30m - Rated: R

During WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.

9) The Women’s Balcony (2016 Comedy, Drama) Theme: Gender roles; Bar Mitzvah 1hr 36m - not rated

A bar mitzvah mishap causes a major rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem.

10) Hava Nagila (2012 - Documentary, Comedy) Theme: Music 1hr 15m - not rated

A documentary on the history, mystery, and meaning of the ubiquitous Jewish standard that follows the around-the-world journey of the song from Ukraine to Youtube of the song "Hava Nagila."

11) Life is Beautiful (1997 - Comedy, Drama, Tragedy - Theme: Holocaust 1hr 56m) Rated: PG-13

When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

12) Woman in Gold (2015 - Drama, Biography) Theme: Holocaust recovery - Rated: PG-13

Helen Mirren stars in this true story about recovering Nazi-looted art

13) Schindler's List (1993 - Drama) Theme: Holocaust 3hr 15m - Rated: R

In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

14) Inglourious Basterds (1993 - War, Dark Comedy) Theme: Holocaust vengeance 2hr 33m - Rated: R

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same

15) A Stranger Among Us (1992 - Crime, Drama) Theme: Jewish culture 1hr 50m - Rated: PG-13

Emily, a tough NYPD cop, is sent to an orthodox Jewish community to investigate a missing person plus $720,000 in missing diamonds. To solve what becomes a murder case, she has to join the community.

16) Everything is Illuminated (2005 - Comedy, Drama) Theme: Holocaust remembrance 1hr 46m - Rated: PG-13

A young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.

17) The Band's Visit (2007 - Satire, Comedy, Music) Theme: Culture clash 1hr 27m - Rated: PG-13

A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town.

18) A Serious Man (2009 - Comedy, Psychological Drama) Theme: Life's meaning 1hr 46m - Rated: R

Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Despite seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.

19) Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986 - Comedy) Theme: Jewish life 1hr 48m - Rated: PG-13

Eugene, a young teenage Jewish boy, recalls his memoirs of his time as an adolescent youth. He goes through the hardships of puberty, sexual fantasy, and living the life of a poor boy in a crowded house.

20) Homicide (1991 - Crime, Thriller) Theme: Jewish identity 1hr 42m - Rated: R

A Jewish homicide detective investigates a seemingly minor murder and falls in with a Zionist group as a result.

21) The Chosen (2009 - Drama) Theme: Jewish identity 1hr 48m - Rated: PG

In 1944, in Brooklyn, two Jewish kids become friends. One is from a very conservative family, and the other is more liberal. The issues of importance of tradition, parental expectations and the formation of Israel cause constant friction.

22) Golda (2023 - Biography; Docudrama) Theme: Israel history 1hr 40m - Rated: PG-13

Focuses on the intensely dramatic and high-stakes responsibilities and decisions that Golda Meir, also known as the 'Iron Lady of Israel,' faced during the Yom Kippur War.

23) Yentl (1983 - Drama, Musical) Theme: Gender roles 2hr 13m - Rated: PG

A Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training.

24) Goya's Ghosts (2006 - Docudrama, Biography) Theme: ideological extremism 1hr 53m - Rated: R

The painter Goya becomes involved with the Spanish Inquisition when his muse, Ines, is arrested by the church for heresy.

Shabbat and a Show

Join us on Friday, May 9th for our first Shabbat and a Show featuring the film...

Paper Clips

MPA Rating: G * IMDB.com Rating 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics Rating 83% * Audience Rating 74%

Storyline from IMDB.com

Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee is the setting for this documentary about an extraordinary experiment in Holocaust education. Struggling to grasp the concept of six-million Holocaust victims, the students decide to collect six-million paper clips to better understand the extent of this crime against humanity. The film details how the students met Holocaust survivors from around the world and how the experience transformed them and their community.—Sujit R. Varma