Somewhere in Creede, Colo., en route to a mountain cabin in Santa Fe, N.M., Mandy Patinkin is above 10,000 feet. “If I sound stupid, it’s because there’s no oxygen up here,” he says.
It’s springtime in Los Angeles, which means raising the curtain on the 26th Israel Film Festival, this year displaying a colorful palette of more than 30 feature movies, documentaries, TV shows and student shorts.
Two Israeli films that deal with the conflict with the Palestinians in much different ways were recognized at the 62nd annual Berlin International Film Festival.
In his latest film, Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar has created a drama of personal controversy. He explores spirit, resilience and responsibility. “Footnote” tells the story of a father, embittered by his life and angered by the success of his son. That son, though publicly applauded, is in turn challenged by the not-fully-formed third generation—his son.
As their nations warn of war, the Israeli and Iranian directors facing off at next week\’s Academy Awards share a reluctance to see politics read into their movies, both of which are portraits of troubled families. Joseph Cedar, director of Israel\’s \”Footnote,\” and Asghar Farhadi, maker of Iran\’s \”A Separation,\” stress that their works are about human issues and not conflicted governments that seem to be slipping into ever deeper diplomatic isolation.
Casting director Heidi Levitt had to fill more than 60 character roles for “The Artist,” the Oscar-nominated film about a 1920s silent movie star (Jean Dujardin) in Hollywood whose career spirals downward with the advent of sound, just as his protégée (Bérénice Bejo) reaches the height of stardom.
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