ON THE MAP, WEINER AND LIFE, ANIMATED
The final day of the Houston Jewish Film Festival (Sunday, March 19th) offers three great documentaries, including one recently nominated for an Academy Award.
We begin with On the Map. In the tradition of the Miracle on Ice, On the Map is the story of Israel’s 1977 basketball team, the very first team to bring the European Cup to Israel just after the Olympics in Munich, Germany.
The documentary features interviews with some of the legendary players of this ragtag group as well as former NBA Commissioner David Stern.
On the Map plays at the Jewish Community Center at 11:00 AM.
Anthony Weiner is the subject of Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winner (and Houston Film Critics Society nominated) documentary Weiner. Filmmakers Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg get unfettered access to his 2013 campaign for New York City mayor. However, his past dalliances with a sex scandal find a way of repeating itself with new sexting allegations.
Weiner plays at the Jewish Community Center at 1:00 PM.
Life, Animated may just bring a tear to your eye. Based on Ron Suskind’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, the documentary follows autistic child Owen Suskind from age three to twenty-three. When Owen stops speaking at three, his parents do their best to try to understand the condition. Working with therapists helps to a degree but the best approach in Owen’s case is with Mickey and Minnie, Donald, and Goofy.
Disney films are the means with which Owen reconnects with the world around him. Life, Animated incorporates home movies, film clips, and interactions between Owen and his family in showing how this once silent child becomes a spokesperson for those with autism.
Life, Animated will be presented at the Emery/Weiner School (9825 Stella Link Rd.) at 4:00 PM.
