New Barbara Lee, MTT films highlight SF Jewish film fest
Drive-in film series begins on Thursday
A new documentary about East Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee will have a special screening on Thursday at the Solano Drive-In movie theater in Concord, as part of a big annual summer film festival that has repackaged itself in a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
This Bay Area debut of “Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks to Me” kicks off Cinegogue Summer Days, a four-day showcase (Thursday-Sunday) for Jewish film and culture. It’s being sponsored by the Jewish Film Institute, the organization behind the annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
The show time for “Truth to Power’ is 8:30 p.m. Thursday, and tickets are $22-$25 per car. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Visit jfi.org for details about the screening and more information about the Cinegogue Summer
Days.
“Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me” covers the “the complex story” of U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who has won fame for her stands on human rights, peace and equality. She was one of the first and most vocal opponents of the Iraq War. Her two-decade career has been marked by her work in the fight against inequality and racism, two related topics that help make “Truth to Power” a very timely film in 2020.
“The current protests and reactions to George Floyd’s death has only elevated (Lee’s) visibility in Congress and the country, as she has called for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to confront the legacy of slavery and racism in the U.S. and propose ways forward,” says a news release about the film. “She has been working on the idea for three years but the current pressures of the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest only make it more timely.”
The film features interviews with Senator Cory Booker, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta (the subject of another new documentary) Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Boston, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Bronx, CNN commentator Van Jones, Bay Area actor Danny Glover and author Alice Walker, among others.
Filmmaker Abby Ginzberg and Rep. Barbara Lee (schedule permitting) are slated to participate in a discussion with Jewish Film Institute Executive Director, Lexi Leban, after the screening.
Here’s a look at some of the other screenings scheduled for Cinegogue Summer Days:
• “On Broadway”: — A look at some of the significant roles that Jewish artists have played in the creation of some of Broadway’s biggest hits. Screens at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at both the Solano Drive-in theater in Concord and the Capital Drive-in theater in San Jose. Tickets are $22$25 and must be purchased in advance.
• “Irmi” — The film tells the story of Irmi Selver, who lost her family while fleeing Germany in 1939 and overcame tragedy and upheavals to establish a new life in New York. The online screening at 3 p.m. Friday will be followed by a live, virtual Q&A with filmmakers Veronica Selver and Susan Fanshel moderated by program director Jay Rosenblatt. The screening is free but viewers must RSVP in advance.
• “Michael Tilson Thomas: Where Now Is” — It’s the West Coast debut of this highly anticipated documentary about the conductor who just wrapped up a legendary run as music director of the San Francisco Symphony. His many accomplishments include winning 11 Grammy Awards and receiving the National Medal of Arts. The online screening at 2:30 p.m. Saturday will be followed by a live, virtual Q&A with Tilson Thomas and Peter L. Stein, former executive director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. The screening is free but must RSVP in advance.
Both the Michael Tilson Thomas and “Irmi” films are available to be screened online at other times during Cinegogue Summer Days. See website for details.