FRENCH JEWRY

French farce revolving around Jonas, a young Sephardic father, set during the Pope’s 1997 visit to Paris. At his son’s bris, Jonas is handed a tissue containing the foreskin and told that he must bury it within 3 days - according to the North African Sephardic custom of his wife’s family. Jonas works as part of a duo that entertains at Bar Mitzvahs and while on the job, he realizes that the tissue containing the foreskin is missing. A series of comic mishaps occur, one after the other, that lead Jonas on a mad chase through the streets of Paris as he races to complete the task. Along the way, he encounters an ex-teacher with a crush on him; a jealous gangster husband; a group of Christian missionaries and an attractive Russian woman who believes the KGB is after her.

In French with subtitles.  1 hr. 32 min.  AGE:  14 to Adult

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THE INFAMOUS DREYFUS AFFAIR  (1997)

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From the History Channel’s In Search of History series, this program covers the historic case of Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish French army captain falsely accused of treason in 1895. Dreyfus was a loyal officer who fell victim to a corrupt army and the growing anti-Semitism in France. Accused of selling military secrets to the enemy, Dreyfus was publicly stripped of rank and sent to prison on Devil’s Island. Emile Zola wrote the famous article J’accuse in 1898 when new evidence of Dreyfus’ innocence appeared, exposing the government and defending Dreyfus. It was not until 1906 that Dreyfus’ name was finally cleared, and he was reinstated into the army and inducted into the French Legion of Honor. The film combines documentary footage with commentaries by several historians.

50 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

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LE CHAMBON (La Colline Aux Mille Enfants—The Hill of the Thousand Children) (1994)

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French dramatization of the story of Le Chambon—the French village that saved 5,000 Jewish children by hiding them from the Nazis. Le Chambon was inhabited by Huguenots, a people who knew about religious persecution from personal experience. Their pastor, Pastor Andre Trocine, led his people to do what was morally right. He wrote, “The duty of Christians is to resist the violence that will be brought to bear upon their conscience through the weapons of the spirit.” This drama focuses on the pastor and the choices made by the people of Le Chambon during this difficult time—a time which tested their courage and morality. The Jewish experience of the Holocaust and the children who were victims is not the primary focus of this film. Note: There are two areas of the film which may be problematic to Jewish audiences and should be discussed when using this film. One issue involves a Jewish teenage girl who is in love with a Christian young man who is aiding the Jews, and she wishes Pastor Trocine to convert her to Protestantism. The second incident involves a clash in values between a female Jewish resistant fighter, who kills a Nazi collaborator, and Pastor Trocine, who feels that the taking of a human life is not allowable, even in defense. A better choice for classroom use is the excellent documentary Weapons of the Spirit, which includes interviews with the citizens and survivors of Le Chambon.

In French with subtitles. 1 hr. 58 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

French drama about a Jewish boy and his family trying to escape occupied France during the Holocaust. The film alternates between showing scenes of filmmaker Michel Drach, a man who wants to make a film of the past events of his life - and dramatic flashbacks which tell of his experiences as a boy during the Holocaust. The scenes set in the past are all shown from the viewpoint of Drach as a young boy. Drach grew up in a wealthy assimilated Jewish family in France – so assimilated that he grew up not even knowing he was Jewish. His parents tried to shield their children from the impending danger, constantly moving from place to place. The two older siblings in the film encounter romance and become aware of a deep-rooted anti-Semitism in France. Finally, Drach, with his mother and grandmother, flee across the border to safety in Switzerland (while his father and brother are fighting in Spain). Note: Contains one brief scene of partial nudity. Drach’s son, David, plays himself as a boy and his wife, Marie-Josee Nat, plays his mother.

In French with subtitles.  AGE:  16 to Adult

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THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA  (1937)

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Actor Paul Muni stars in a film that chronicles the life of French novelist Emile Zola. Zola began as a young, poverty-stricken writer who achieved success as a champion for the oppressed in France. At a period in life of wealth and fame, Zola risked his career to come to the defense of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish officer of the French artillery who was wrongly accused of treason. Zola wrote the famous “I Accuse” and stood virtually alone in his defense of Dreyfus, claiming that Dreyfus’ only offense was that he was a Jew. Winner of three 1937 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

B&W. 1 hr. 57 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

THE MAD ADVENTURES OF RABBI JACOB (LES ADVENTURES DE RABBI JACOB) (1973)

Hilarious comedy starring famous French comedian Louis de Funes as Victor Pivert, a bigoted and racist industrialist. While is on his way to his daughter’s wedding, Victor overhears a plot between feuding Arab revolutionaries. When they discover his presence, Victor’s only escape is to disguise himself as an Orthodox rabbi. Multiple chase scenes ensue, the most memorable (and funniest) taking place in a bubble gum factory (where, of course, many fall into the vats of goo). By the movie’s conclusion, Victor has finally been cured of his prejudices (and has experienced life as an orthodox Jew as well). Note: This is considered de Funes’s funniest role and was a classic in France.

In French with subtitles.  1 hr. 33 min.  AGE:  10 to Adult

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MADAME ROSA  (1977)

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Academy Award-winning French drama about an aging Jewish ex-madam (a Holocaust survivor) who makes her living taking care of the young children of prostitutes in a Paris ghetto. Among the children in her charge is a Moslem boy, whose mother left him there when he was small and never returned. The touching relationship between the older woman and this boy, whom she calls “Momo,” is the focal point of the movie. She protects and takes care of him, and as time passes, he has a chance to repay her kindness. Actress Simone Signoret gives a masterful performance as Madame Rosa who, despite her difficult life, has a soft spot for these children and wants the best for them. Directed by Moshe Mizrahi.

In French with subtitles. 1 hr. 44 min.  AGE: 16 to Adult

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Beautifully filmed drama which focuses on Susie, a young woman in 1940s Paris (Christina Ricci) and her relationships with a cabaret dancer friend (Cate Blanchett), an opera singer (John Turturro) and a gypsy (Johnny Depp). An initial scene shows a flashback of Susie as a child in 1927 Russia, where she was called Feige. Feige watches as her father leaves for America. When a pogrom strikes her village, Feige’s grandma sends her with a group of people headed to America. Feige takes the wrong boat and ends up in London. There she is given the name of Susie and sent to live with a Christian foster family. She keeps the photograph of her father and is determined to find her way to America. Eventually, “Susie” gets involved with a performing troupe, makes her way to France and befriends a cabaret singer and gypsy. Only the singer knows that she is a Jew. When the Nazis invade France, “Susie’s” life becomes endangered and she faces a difficult decision – to stay in France with the gypsy man she loves or to flee to safety in America and seek her father. A haunting lyrical film by filmmaker Sally Potter. Note: Rated R. Contains some brief sexual content.

1 hr. 40 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

French film tells the story of the 25-year friendship between two young Jewish women who met during a ballet class at age seven. As children, both felt like outsiders among their peers: Ethel was overweight and Mina wore glasses. As they become young women of the world, however, differences emerge and the friendship suffers. Mina becomes a successful, but melancholy and introspective artist; while Ethel becomes an attractive, free-living, freelance journalist. The film follows the pair as they periodically meet on the same park bench and discuss their lives over the years. As time passes, they grow further and further apart. Eventually, both women fall in love with the same man, and tragedy ensues. Winner of the “Palme d’Or” at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

In French with subtitles.  2 hrs. 10 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

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MIRACLE AT MOREAUX  (1985)

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Three Jewish children take refuge in a Catholic school in France while fleeing from the Nazis in 1943. The students are initially frightened by the danger to themselves of concealing Jews from the Nazis, but later are willing to risk their lives for them. Based on the children's book Twenty and Ten. Study guide available. Note: This is a suitable Holocaust film for younger students.

58 min.  AGE: 9 to Adult

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PRISONER OF HONOR  (1991)

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Drama based on the true story of Alfred Dreyfus. A French colonel is brought up on charges after his discovery that Dreyfus was wrongly convicted of treason, largely due to French anti-Semitism. Starring Richard Dreyfuss.

1 hr. 30 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

Re-release of the classic epic length documentary about France during World War II and the complicity of the French with the Nazis. Filmed in the late 1960s, director Marcel Olphuls combines interviews of a wide variety of individuals in France. This includes those who collaborated with the Nazis as well as members of the Resistance and bystanders. Interwoven throughout are excerpts from newsreels and Nazi propaganda films. B&W.

In French with subtitles.  4 hrs. 20 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

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VOYAGES (1999)

French film with three separate stories about older Jewish women whose lives were all affected by the Holocaust. The film presents each story individually, but the characters’ lives eventually intertwine in unexpected ways. The first story involves Rivka, who is on a bus tour of Poland with her husband. Accidentally, Rivka is left behind at one of the stops. The pair has a bitter argument, as Rivka’s husband didn’t notice she was missing and has neglected her for years of their marriage. The second story looks at Regine, a woman in Paris whose father was recorded as having died in the camps. Regine travels to Lithuania to meet a very old man who claims to be her father. While listening to his story, she realizes he is not her father – but travels with him to Israel to try to find his real daughter. The third story follows Vera, who travels from Moscow to Tel Aviv to search for a cousin. When Vera gets lost, she is befriended by Rivka, from the first episode. In all three stories, the characters seek connections with family members and sometimes end up making new connections through the kindness of complete strangers.

In French with subtitles.  1 hr. 55 min.  AGE:  14 to Adult

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WEAPONS OF THE SPIRIT  (1989 Classroom Version)

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A moving account of the villagers of Le Chambon—a remote village in southeastern France—and their rescue of over 5,000 Jews during the Holocaust. The Huguenot Protestant villagers sheltered the Jews, and not one villager informed the authorities. The film uses interviews with the rescuers and survivors, newsreel footage, photographs and historical accounts. The filmmaker, Pierre Sauvage, was one of the Jews saved by the village. Study guide available. Note: The film depicts heroism found in “ordinary” individuals and is a prime illustration of humanity’s capacity for goodness.

38 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

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WEAPONS OF THE SPIRIT  (1989 Full-length Version)

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This is the original version of the film by Pierre Sauvage about the French village of Le Chambon—where ordinary citizens risked their lives to save the Jews of their community. The video is introduced by Bill Moyers and concludes with a 30-minute dialogue between Mr. Moyers and filmmaker Sauvage, who was a Jew born in Le Chambon while his parents were being sheltered there during the war. Note: This version has additional footage and more interviews than the classroom version—interviews with citizens and clergy of Le Chambon, as well as Jews who were saved.

Color/B&W. 2 hrs. (including 30 min. interview)  AGE: 13 to Adult