During WWII, the highest percentage of Jews destroyed anywhere in the world — including Poland — was in Macedonia, and in 2011, a world-class museum in Skopje was opened to remember the near-extinction of Macedonian Jews in the Holocaust. The museum features briefly in The Third Half, a warm and moving historical tale of love, football, historical and cultural burdens and one Jewish woman’s survival thanks to her marriage to an Orthodox Christian. The film is inspired by the true story of Neta Koen who recorded her Holocaust experience for the Shoah Visual History Foundation at University of California, a library of survivor’s stories set up by director Steven Spielberg, and adapted for the big screen by script writers Darko Mitrevski and Grgur Strujic. The Third Half is my first pick this week.
During WWII, the highest percentage of Jews destroyed anywhere in the world — including Poland — was in Macedonia, and in 2011, a world-class museum in Skopje was opened to remember the near-extinction of Macedonian Jews in the Holocaust. The museum features briefly in The Third Half, a warm and moving historical tale of love, football, historical and cultural burdens and one Jewish woman’s survival thanks to her marriage to an Orthodox Christian. The film is inspired by the true story of Neta Koen who recorded her Holocaust experience for the Shoah Visual History Foundation at University of California, a library of survivor’s stories set up by director Steven Spielberg, and adapted for the big screen by script writers Darko Mitrevski and Grgur Strujic. The Third Half is my first pick this week.
The Third Half (2012)
Starring: Richard Sammel, Sasko Kocev & Katarina Ivanovska
Directed by: Darko Mitrevski
Screening: Rialto World, Monday 17th November, 8.30pm
What starts out as a light, charming film about a struggling football team, turns into a surprisingly warm and moving film about the plight of the Macedonian Jews during World War II. The film is set in 1941, and tells the story of Kosta, an Eastern Orthodox Christian and member of the beleaguered Macedonia Football Club, who falls for a young Jewish heiress, Rebecca. The two elope, but before they can start enjoying their lives together, Hitler invades and begins rounding up all the Jews, including Rebecca’s father. For the most part it’s well acted and the humour and drama is nice balanced together. Unfortunately thought, the role do Rebecca is a little too much for Katarina Ivanovska, a well-known Macedonian model in her debut-acting role. She’s beautiful and aloof, but unable to handle the material here with any depth.
Downloaded (2013)
Starring: Mike D, Henry Rollins & Noel Gallagher
Directed by: Alex Winter
Screening: Rialto Documentary, Thursday 20th November, 8.30pm
Love or hate Napster and what it stood for, the launch of this file sharing social media site in 1999 kick started the downloading revolution, the effects of which can still be felt today. Director Alex Winter’s documentary takes you through the creation of Napster, told by its co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, and the battle that ensued between Napster, the music industry, lawyers and the government. Many of you will know this story already, but Winter packages it up nicely, even if it does treat the Napster boys more favourably than members of Metallica and Dr Dre (who sued the company) would probably like. In hindsight, it’s a fascinating story about how technological advances excite and terrify us, our ability or lack of it to adapt to new ideas, and how we got to the digital iTunes world of today.
Parkland (2013)
Starring: Zac Efron, Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden & Paul Giamatti
Directed by: Peter Landesman
Screening: Rialto Selection, Saturday 22nd November, 8.30pm
Written and directed by former journalist Peter Landesman, and based on the book Four Days in November: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, by Vincent Bugliosi, this ensemble piece explores the events surrounding the assassination of JFK on 22nd November 1963, and the following three days. Based on true events, Parklands goes behind the scenes, looking at the assassination from those who witnessed it, worked at Parkland hospital where both JFK and Harvey Lee Oswald were taken, and from the point of view of Oswald’s family the Secret Service and security agencies. It’s a pragmatic approach that captures a moment in time and gives those not familiar with the details a wonderful sense of how this tragic event unfolded.