JIFF off to a stirring start
October 29, 2015 by Deahne Hemphill
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The Jewish International Film Festival has got to a rip-roaring start with a sell-out crowd attending the opening screening in Sydney last night.
The opening night had a lovely touch with The Leonie Cohen Trio performing jazz infused Jewish music in the AACTA Bar and Festival Director Eddie Tamir delivering his entertaining opening address.
This was followed by the screening go the Cannes Film Festival award-winning film “Son of Saul”, scheduled to be released in Australia by Sony Pictures next year.
It was an interesting choice of film for opening night given the intensity and sombre nature of its style and content, but was well received.
The cinematography and lead actor, Geza Rohrig who plays the Hungarian Saul Auslander were both exceptional and truly captured the in-the-moment feel of fight for survival as a prisoner in a camp.
The audience was left impacted by the dark mood of the film, however the strong contingent of community members with a Hungarian background clearly felt a sense of pride and connection with the film’s stars and achievements.
This film will no doubt be balanced by some of the lighter hearted content in the festival (such as the French film Serial (Bad) Weddings), but it is sure to be a standout given its quality and impact.
