The tragic kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Pearl shocked the world. Daniel’s wife Mariane told her perspective of the events surrounding the tragic event in her best selling book which has now been adapted into the film, “A Mighty Heart.” “A Mighty Heart” unfolds like a tragic detective movie. Viewers will see…
After the atrocities of the Holocaust and again in Rwanda, the world faces another crisis in the Darfur section of Sudan. “The Devil Came on Horseback” is an insightful, educational, and award winning documentary based on the book about Ben Steidle’s experiences in Sudan and how he is trying to raise awareness of the situation…
“I Have Never Forgotten You – The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal” is an insightful documentary about Simon Wiesenthal and how one person can truly make a difference in the world. Filmmaker Richard Trank convincingly mixes archival materials (photographs, documents, and old interviews), new interviews, and new images of various locations from Mr. Wiesenthal’s…
Sandy Chertok reviews “Wondrous Oblivion” the new dramatic film by Paul Morrison. “Wondrous Oblivion” is the new dramatic film by Paul Morrison. The film revolves around a young Jewish boy, David, who lives in South London in the 1960s. David loves the sport of cricket. He collects cricket cards of the professional cricket players and…
Sixty years after the Holocaust, writers are still tackling all of the many facets of this horrendous event. The trick is how to expose it in a new way and to a new audience, who is a generation removed from it. Frank McMillan accepted this challenge and found a new approach to expose a teen…
Sandy Chertok reviews Keeping up with the Steins.
A dysfunctional family celebrating Passover is at the heart of Sal Litvak’s first film, “When Do We Eat?” What could have been a film set in the style of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” which could have explored the typical Jewish family traditions at Passover, ends up being a confusing, insensitive, and disconnected view of…
Israeli filmmaker Gidi Dar is at the center of something unique that is taking place within the Israeli cinema. The Ultra Orthodox community has been embracing and going to see his latest film, “Ushpizin,” a smart dramedy about an Ultra Orthodox couple who face numerous challenges around the Succoth holiday. The film was shot in…
In a time where there has been an increase of misunderstandings between Secular Jews and Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Israeli filmmaker Gidi Dar and Israeli actor Shuli Rand have re-teamed to try to break down the layers of tensions between these communities through a simple story told on film. The result of their latest partnership is the…
Sandy Chertok is always on the look out for the best in Jewish entertainment. In the past she’s found: The Top Jewish Comedies, best Jewish musicals, The best scifi films. Now she’s looking beyond these categories. Here’s a list of her top picks in other categories- the individual reviews will come shortly. Dramas (non-Holocaust) The…