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May 15, 2003

Golan Takes Films to New Heights

\”Return from India\” is one of the 18 new films, documentaries and TV dramas showing at the 19th Israel Film Festival, from May 28-June 8. Based on A.B. Yehoshua\’s best-selling book \”Open Heart,\” \”India,\” directed and co-produced by veteran filmmaker Menachem Golan, portrays a somewhat preposterous love story between the young Dr. Ben Rubin (Aki Avni) and the older Dori Lazar (Riki Gal) as they accompany her husband (Asi Dayan) to India to save their sick daughter. Golan was nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film including \”Entebbe: Operation Thunderbolt\” (1977) and \”Sallah Shabati\” (1964); his film \”The Assault\” (1986) won the Oscar.

A State of ‘Jewtopia’

We\’re nice Jewish boys who love our mothers,\” Sam Wolfson said. \”We don\’t mean any harm,\” said his pal, Bryan Fogel.\n\nWolfson and Fogel feel nervous because they\’ve written and are starring in an irreverent play, \”Jewtopia,\” about a Jew who dislikes Jewish women (Wolfson), and a non-Jew who adores them (Fogel). They\’ve included over-the-top riffs on clichés such as theme bar mitzvahs, cheesy Purim carnivals, JAPS and the politically incorrect word, shvartze. They say they intended to humorously but lovingly exploit Jewish stereotypes the way plays like \”Nunsense\” exploit Catholic ones — but they\’re aware viewers could take offense.

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More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.