POLISH YIDDISH FILMS
Screenings organized in partnership with Spiro Ark

Tuesday 5 April/ 7pm/ at West London Synagogue
DYBBUK
dir. Michał Waszyński / 1937/ Poland/ 123 min
Yiddish w/ English subtitles


Boundaries separating the natural from the supernatural dissolve as ill-fated pledges, unfulfilled passions, and untimely deaths ensnare two families in a tragic labyrinth of spiritual possession. The Dybbuk is based on the celebrated play of the same name by S. Ansky written during the turbulent years of 1912-1917 and inspired by Ansky's ethnographic research of Jews living in the Polish-Russian countryside just before World War I.
The Dybbuk reflects Ansky's deep perception of the shtetl's religious and cultural mores, as well as his insightful appreciation of its hidden spiritual resources. The film's exquisite musical and dance interludes evoke the cultural richness of both pre-World War II shtetl communities and Polish Jewry on the eve of World War II. The film was made on location in Poland in 1937 and brought together the best talents of Polish Jewry--script writers, composers, choreographers, set designers, actors and historical advisors.

"... one of the most solemn attestations to the mystic powers of the spirit the imagination has ever purveyed to the film reel."
- Parker Tyler, Classics of the Foreign Film
Restoration & New English Subtitles:
The National Center For Jewish Film

Tuesday 12 April/ 7pm/ at West London Synagogue
THE VOW (Tkies Kaf)
dir. Henryk Szabo/ 1937/ Poland/ 82 min
Yiddish w/ English subtitles


Two friends make a sacred pact pledging their newborn children, Rachel and Mendel, in marriage. Years pass, Rachel's father dies, and the two children, knowing nothing of their fathers' pledge, meet for the first time and fall in love. But Mendel's father insists his son study at the Vilna Yeshiva, and Rachel's rich old landlord insists on marrying her.
Based on the same legend as S. Ansky's classic play The Dybbuk, this spirited film offers the divine intervention of Elijah and a happy ending. Made in 1937 on the eve of the Holocaust, The Vow captures authentic scenes of Jewish shtetl life, Yiddish love songs, and the clash between tradition and modernity. Yiddish theater diva Dina Halpern stars as Rachel. Note: This film is distinct from The Vow (1924) which was reissued as A Vilna Legend (1933), also restored by NCJF.

"A romantic and simple story, unfolded against a moving background of legendary and religious significance"
- The Film Daily

Restoration & New English Subtitles:
The National Center For Jewish Film

Roland Chojnacki - Polish Cultural Institute Director and Anna Gruszka - Kinoteka Festival Producer look forward to seeing you there to
celebrate the return of Kinoteka and will be available on the night to answer any questions with regards to the programme.
KINOTEKA will take place between 24 March - 13 April 2011, returning for its 9th annual edition. Opening with Venice Competition title, Essential Killing, the stunning new film by veteran auteur Jerzy Skolimowski, starring Vincent Gallo as a hunted man pitted against the elements in a heroic battle to survive, ahead of the film's cinema release on 1 April by Artificial Eye.

The full KINOTEKA 9 line-up brings together the leading lights of Polish Cinema, with an impressive and diverse selection of internationally acclaimed titles from debut filmmakers, well respected auteurs, cult directors, rediscovered classics, unknown gems, and award-winning shorts as well as innovative visual art and design, a host of special guest appearances and fresh sounds from up and coming musicians. Presented by the Polish Cultural Institute in London in association withThe Polish Film Institute and festival sponsor DFDS Seaways, the 9th KINOTEKA Polish Film Festival spans 8 arts venues across the capital: Curzon Renoir, Riverside Studios, Barbican, Prince Charles Cinema, Roxy Bar & Screen, London Film Academy, West London Synagogue and Tate Modern as well as venues in Belfast, Edinburgh, Exeter and Glasgow.