Jayme Monjardim’s “Olga” kicks off the Skirball’s annual film series Mantener la Fe (Keep the Faith). This series of Latin Jewish films from four different countries explores the resilience of the human spirit and the conviction to stand by one’s beliefs, even in the most adverse circumstances.
Olga, Wednesday, March 11, 8:00 p.m.
Jayme Monjardim’s Olga is based on the life of German Jewish activist Olga Benário Prestes, wife of revolutionary leader Luís Carlos Prestes.
Persecuted in Germany for her Communist affiliations, Olga went on to become a security escort for Prestes during his attempt to lead a Communist coup in Brazil in 1935. The film follows the couple’s fateful political and romantic relationship, and Olga’s eventual deportation to a concentration camp.
A story of undying love between two people separated by war, Fascism, and impossible circumstances. (Brazil, 2004, 141 min. No MPAA rating. In Portuguese and German with English subtitles.)
To watch the official trailer for Olga go to http://www.skirball.org/programs/film/olga
Mr. Kaplan, March 26, 2015, 8:00 p.m.
L.A. premiere! Álvaro Brechner’s hilarious dark comedy tells the story of Jacob Kaplan (Héctor Noguera), who was forced to flee Europe as a young boy without his parents during World War II..
After fifty years of quiet living in Uruguay, Jacob becomes obsessed with the idea that the German owner of a local seafront restaurant is a former Nazi. (Uruguay, 2014, 98 min. In Spanish with English subtitles.) “[A] highly amusing crowd-pleaser.”—Hollywood Reporter
View trailer at http://www.skirball.org/programs/film/mr-kaplan
Visa al Paraíso April 16, 2015, 8:00 p.m.
This historical documentary explores the remarkable work of Gilberto Bosques Saldivar, also known as the “Mexican Schindler.”
From 1939 to 1942, Bosques served as Mexico’s Consul General in France, issuing exit visas to 45,000 Jews and Spanish Republicans persecuted by Fascism. Using war footage and interviews with survivors and their families as well as Bosques himself, Visa al Paraíso honors this relatively unknown humanitarian mission that marks a remarkable chapter in Mexico’s history.
Directed and produced by Lillian Liberman. This screening is presented in commemoration of Yom HaShoah. (Mexico, 2010, 108 min. In Spanish with English subtitles.)
To view trailer go to http://www.skirball.org/programs/film/visa-al-paraiso
The Longing: The Forgotten Jews of South America, April 26, 2015, 2:00 p.m. featuring a Q&A with director/ producer Gabriela Bohm, Please note matinee time.
Set in Ecuador, this award-winning documentary tells the story of a small group of South Americans whose European Jewish ancestors were forced to convert during the Spanish Inquisition.
Isolated in Catholic countries and rejected by local Jewish communities, the group seeks the guidance of Jacques Cukierkorn, a Brazilian American rabbi who helps “lost Jews” reclaim their identities. Though the new converts’ dreams are eventually fulfilled, they face an uncertain future. (Ecuador, 2007, 75 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles.
To View trailer go to http://www.skirball.org/programs/latin-jewish-life-film/the-longing
This film series is presented as part of “VIVA!,” an ongoing Skirball initiative that explores the connections between Jewish and Latin American cultures through lectures, conversations, and performing, visual and media arts.
VIVA! programs are made possible in part by support from
Art Works. arts.gov, James Irvine Foundation
MEDIA SPONSORS: Alegria Magazine
ADMISSION $8 General, $6 Skirball Members, $5 Full-Time Students
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 – (310) 440-4500
FILM | Latin Jewish Life in Film: Mantener la Fe (Keep the Faith)