The Skirball Cultural Center Presents Latin Jewish Life in Film, Featuring Screenings of Three Thought Provoking Recent Films

From Mexico, the dramatic comedy My Mexican Shivah (Morirse Está en Hebreo, 2007); from Brazil, the touching coming-of-age story The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (O Ano Em Que Meus Pais Saírem de Férias, 2008); and from Argentina, the deeply personal documentary Our Disappeared (Nuestros Desaparecidos, 2008). After the screening of Our Disappeared, on Sunday, June 14, Inés Kuperschmit, one of the film's subjects, will share insights into the film and talk about her life experiences.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 17, 2009 -- Skirball Cultural Center presents three recent films exploring Latin Jewish Life in Film; My Mexican Shivah - Morirse Esta en Hebreo - Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., The Year My Parents Went on Vacation - O Ano Em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Ferias - Thursday, June 4, 7:30 p.m., Our Disappeared - Nuestros Desaparecidos - Sunday, June 14, 2:00 p.m.

Latin Jewish Life in Film is presented as part of the Skirball's ongoing Viva! initiative, exploring the connections between Jewish and Latin American cultures through lectures, conversations, and performing, visual, and media arts.

"Film has become an increasingly important medium for Jewish artists in Latin America to express themselves," notes Jordan Peimer, Skirball Director of Programs. "We're excited to present three examples of contemporary Latin cinema. Each film gives voice to a unique and fascinating aspect of the Jewish experience in Latin America, where the encounter between tradition and contemporary culture produces three very different Jewish stories"

About the Films

My Mexican Shivah - Morirse Esta En Hebreo • Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m.

When Moishe (Sergio Kleiner) passes, his family and friends sit shivah, the seven-day Jewish mourning ritual. The spirit angels Aleph and Bet observe what the mourners say about the deceased to calculate which angel will accompany Moishe's soul to the afterlife. Set in Polanco, the Jewish quarter of Mexico City, My Mexican Shivah is a dramatic comedy about how the death of a man results in the celebration of his life. Based upon a short story by acclaimed Mexican-Jewish writer and cultural critic Ilan Stavans. (Mexico, 2007, 98 min. No MPAA rating. In Spanish, Yiddish, and Hebrew with English subtitles.)

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation - O Ano Em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Ferias • Thursday, June 4, 7:30 p.m.

Set in Brazil during the 1970 World Cup, this poignant coming-of-age story thrusts twelve-year-old Mauro (Michel Joelsas) into a maelstrom of political and personal upheaval. When his left-wing parents are forced underground, Mauro is left in the care of his Jewish grandfather's neighbor (Germano Hauit) in São Paulo and forced to create an ersatz family from the diverse, colorful population of his new neighborhood. (Brazil, 2008, 105 min. Rated PG. In Portuguese with English subtitles.)

Our Disappeared - Nuestros Desaparecidos • Sunday, June 14, 2:00 p.m.

Through a casual Google search, Jewish Argentine director Juan Mandelbaum finds out that Patricia, a long-lost girlfriend, was among the thousands kidnapped and tortured by the military in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with family and friends of the victims, Our Disappeared chronicles Mandelbaum's grievous journey to find out what happened to Patricia and other friends who were "disappeared." (Argentina, 2008, 99 min. No MPAA rating. In English and Spanish with English subtitles.)

Admission per Film: General - $6, (Skirball Members and Full Time Students - $5)

Advance Ticket Purchase: http://www.skirball.org or on site at the Skirball

Phone: 877-SCC-4TIX or 877-722-4849

General Information: 310-440-4500

Visiting the Skirball

The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 (exit Skirball Ctr Dr off the 405). Parking is free. The Skirball is also accessible by Metro Rapid Bus 761. Museum hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12:00-5:00 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; closed Mondays. Museum admission: $10 General; $7 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $5 Children 2-12. All exhibitions are free to Skirball Members and Children under 2. Exhibitions are free to the public on Thursdays. The Skirball is also home to Zeidler's Café, which serves innovative California cuisine in an elegant setting and Audrey's Museum Store, which sells books, contemporary art, music and more. For general information, the public may call (310) 440-4500 or visit http://www.skirball.org

About the Skirball

The Skirball Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring the connections between 4,000 years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals. It welcomes and seeks to inspire people of every ethnic and cultural identity. Guided by our respective memories and experiences, together we aspire to build a society in which all of us can feel at home. The Skirball Cultural Center achieves its mission through educational programs that explore literary, visual, and performing arts from around the world; through the display and interpretation of its permanent collections and changing exhibitions; through an interactive family destination inspired by the Noah's Ark story; and through outreach to the community.

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