Notícias

Margot Josefsohn as Casey and Ed Asner as Samuel, in Tiger Within. Photo Courtesy of Menemsha Films

In Tiger Within, a Holocaust survivor befriends a homeless teen (Margot Josefsohn) in Los Angeles in what might be the ’90s. Directed by Rafal Zielinski and written by Gina Wendkos, Tiger Within is a well-intentioned film, touching on antisemitism, hatred, fear, and prejudices, and highlighting the power of forgiveness and kindness.

Those good intentions, plus Ed Asner in his last big screen role, has earned Tiger Within a place in several Jewish film festivals. All that is in its favor but this rambling coming-of-age film is an up-and-down experience, a film that does not always know how best to convey its message and which it sometimes does awkwardly. At times, there is a feeling that the film is not well thought-out or focused, and there are other moments that are simply awkward, even a bit squirm-inducing.

The annual St. Louis Jewish Film Festival has returned, again in a virtual format, March 6 -13 but shifted to a new spring season instead of its previous summer slot. Being virtual means all the exciting lineup of films, including documentaries on an array of subjects plus comedy and drama narrative films, are available to view anytime during the festival, through March 13, from the comfort of your own home. For tickets and more information, visit their website https://jccstl.com/arts-ideas/st-louis-jewish-film-festival.

The 27th annual festival, which is virtual like the last two, has an array of 13 international and U.S. films with Jewish themes, with five outstanding documentaries on varied topics, and eight engrossing narrative features including dramas, comedies, historical films and thrillers, plus a trio of enticing discussions and a pre-festival bonus short film, “Touch the Sky,” which is available to stream starting Jan. 17.

Countries represented include Israel, France,...