Shorts Program
HASHIVENU: RETURN US Curated by Warren Etheredge
In Person (Walla Walla): April 2 | Learn More >>
In Person (Hillel UW): April 3
Virtual: Streaming March 31 – April 13
When people speak of grit, they usually mean the power of perseverance. From a secular mindset, grit is a manifestation of stick-to-it-tiveness. For this block of short films, we explore a more divine form of resilience, hashivenu—a reaffirming of faith in challenging times of grief or crisis. In this shorts program, parents cope with curious, anxious or lost kids; a famous writer humorously copes with a botched bris; a prodigal daughter considers returning home; a blind man questions the value of returned sight; and a surprise pair of movie extras find home far away from it. All are connected by the need to push on, fueled by an unanticipated renewal of belief.
For SJFF’s 30th Pearl Anniversary, this strand of seven cinematic gems exhibits the transformation through adversity to resilience (Rated PG-13).
I SEE YOU (אני רואה אותך)
Adam Weingrod | Documentary Short| Israel 2023 | Hebrew w/subtitles | 20m
When Danny regains his sight after 25 years, he sees his wife and four children for the first time. His perspective on light, love, and life changes. Winner, 2023 Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.
MAURICE’S BAR (Le Bar de Maurice)
Tzor Edery, Tom Prezman | Animated Short | France, Israel 2023 | Arabic, French w/subtitles | 15m | WA Premiere
France, 1942: On a train to “nowhere,” a former drag queen remembers her glorious past in one of Paris’s first queer bars. Snippets of customer gossip conjure this legendary club and its mysterious Jewish-Algerian owner, Maurice. Visually stunning, artful animation movingly resurrects a forgotten home to outcasts among outcasts and their tragic fate under Nazi occupation.
THE GUY WHO GOT CUT WRONG
Dana Ben-Ari | Documentary Short | USA 2024 | English | 21m
Bestselling Soviet-Jewish novelist Gary Shteyngart delves deeper into the trauma of his circumcision at age 7, and comes to terms with betrayals by parents, religion and new country in this funny, poignant exploration of the immigrant experience and Jewish masculinity.
PISCES (מזל דגים)
Lee Dror | Narrative | Israel 2023 | Hebrew, Japanese w/subtitles | 12m
Three years after cutting ties with her family in Israel, Rona’s life in Japan is upended when shocking news from her family forces her to confront buried wounds.
IN THE MOUNTAIN’S SHADE (בצילו של ההר)
Maya Kessel | Narrative Short | Israel 2023 | Hebrew w/subtitles | 21m
Ming, a day-laborer, is placed on a new job site that reminds him of the far away home he left.
WAR BEFORE BEDTIME (מלחמה לפני השינה)
Tehila Lapidot | Animated Short | Israel 2024 | Hebrew w/subtitles | 3m
Before bed, two Israeli children ask their mother about their fears of war and missiles. She tries to safeguard their innocence, but it is much harder than she anticipated.
THE SPEED OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US (מהירות של המרחק בינינו)
Yuval Shapira | Documentary Short | Israel, USA 2023 | Hebrew w/subtitles | 19m
A moving, unflinching glimpse into the lives of Israeli parents who have lost a child to battle.
Curator Bio: Warren Etheredge is a film producer/programmer/educator, co-founder of the Walla Walla Movie Crush and author of the Crushworthy Substack.
Guest: Recorded interview with director Yuval Shapira.
Event: In-person Hillel UW screening is FREE for students. Talkback with curator Warren Etheredge + noshes after the screening.
Sponsor: Christopher Conrad
Event Sponsor: Sholom Tea
Community Sponsor: Hillel at University of Washington
