crescendo

“Crescendo,” an award-winning 2020 film directed by Dror Zahavi, will lead off the online Jewish Film Series.

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MANCHESTER — Israel Congregation’s 4th Annual Jewish Film Series will begin with “Crescendo,” which tells a fictional story about a famous conductor who is challenged with creating a joint Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra. The film will be viewable online from July 8-11, with a discussion led by Rabbi Michael Cohen on Zoom on July 12 at 7 p.m.

“Crescendo,” loosely inspired by the story of the formation of Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, was the winner of the audience award at the 2020 Teaneck International Film Festival, the 2020 San Diego Jewish Film Festival and the 2019 Festival of German Films Ludwigshafen, and was honored as the “Best German Film with Jewish Issue” at the Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Brandenburg in 2019.

Peter Simonischek plays world famous conductor Eduard Sporck, who accepts the job to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra, but is quickly drawn into a tempest of seemingly unsolvable problems. Having grown up in a state of war, suppression or the constant risk of terrorist attacks, the young musicians from both sides are far from capable of forming a team. Will Sporck succeed in making the young people forget their hatred, at least for the three weeks until the concert?

To RSVP to participate, visit www.israelcongregationvt.org/jewish-film-series-2021. There is no charge, although freewill donations are welcome to help to support this summer tradition.

The series will continue with “Children of the Inquisition” from July 15-18 and “Asia” from July 30-Aug. 1, concluding with “The Keeper” on Aug. 12-15.


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