Jewish Experience Films

I'm really glad that we got to have the Jewish Experience films during our class, since there was such a wide array and they were all entertaining in varying ways.  "Lunches With Mel”,”Show Folk" and "Do You Believe in Love" were much more uplifting than the other two films that were shown.  Although "Lunches With Mel" and "Show Folk" weren't exactly about Jews and the Jewish experience, they did give the evening a lighter and less depressing tone to the night.  "Do You Believe in Love" was interesting because we got to learn about the matchmaking business in Israel, as well as listen to people speaking Hebrew and learn a little bit more about the culture in Israel with influences from the Jewish faith.

"Silent" and "No Love Lost" were the heavy hitters of the evening.  The first being about an old Jewish man dealing with his traumatic memories during WW II, being tormented by the guilt of survival, and how he must face his memories before leaving this world.  The second film was about how a Jewish boy is in a secret relationship with a Muslim girl despite the realities of their different backgrounds and faiths, and how they are unaware that an incredibly prejudiced young woman is stalking them. While the couple struggles to be open about their relationship, the stalker's obsession shows a thought-provoking climax that ends with the three coming face to face.  Although these films were much more difficult to watch, they were incredibly well done and showed the realities that many people have to deal with everyday.