‘American Birthright’ asks, ‘Why be Jewish?’
Review
When Becky Tahel learned her younger sister, Gal, was going to marry a non-Jewish man, she began to grapple with whether she should marry...
Amid personal tragedy, filmmaker Frederick Wiseman keeps his focus
By Andrew Lapin
Frederick Wiseman got on the phone from his apartment in Paris. The 91-year-old filmmaker’s voice was hoarse, and he had to excuse...
‘Til Kingdom Come’ investigates evangelical support for Israel
Review
It takes Yael Eckstein three days to get from her home in Israel to Middlesboro, Ky., but it’s a journey she is happy to...
Indie drama ‘Leona’ uses a forbidden romance to critique Mexico City’s Orthodox community
By Gabe Friedman
At the start of the film “Leona,” an indie drama set in Mexico City, protagonist Ariela watches her close friend immerse in...
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ soars, then stumbles
Review
Fans of Israeli actor Gal Gadot had something big to look forward to this Christmas when Warner Bros. Entertainment released “Wonder Woman 1984,” the...
‘Esau’ puts new twist on biblical brotherhood
“Everyone calls me a writer. But writers write about people, and all I can write about is bread,” muses the eponymous protagonist of “Esau,”...
The real story behind ‘Mank’
By Gabe Friedman
Acclaimed director David Fincher’s highly anticipated film “Mank,” on the Jewish screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz and the story behind his writing of the...
The 2020 JxJ Virtual Festival begins its run this week
Longtime District-based filmmaker Aviva Kempner says a good Jewish film “is a good film by Jews, about or for Jews. But it’s also for...
If you loved ‘Borat,’ you’ll like the sequel
Review
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” struggles with the same issues that affect all sequels — how to recapture what made the original so captivating.
For the new...
Far-flung JCCs bring a single film festival to your living room
It’s a truism that in the Washington area, it’s hard to get a Marylander to cross the river into Northern Virginia, and vice versa....
