1ST FESTIVAL OF TOLERANCE IN LJUBLJANA

INTERNATIONAL FILM PROGRAMME, EXHIBITION, EDUCATIONAL MORNING, LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS/ROUND TABLES WITH THE FILMMAKERS

FEBRUARY 4TH TO FEBRUARY 8TH 2015

MINI TEATER – JEWISH CULTURAL CENTRE LJUBLJANA, KRIŽEVNIŠKA STREET 1/3, LJUBLJANA

MAIN FESTIVAL GUESTS: BRANKO LUSTIG, MIRKO ILIĆ, ORHAN GALJUŠ

 

Dear visitors, dear friends!

We are extremely delighted to start the year 2015 by announcing the cultural event that represents an extraordinary step in our cultural collaboration, emphasizing the urgency of well thought-out ethical social engagement. From February 4th to February 8th 2015 Mini teater and Jewish Cultural Centre Ljubljana in regional cooperation with the project leader JFF Zagreb (Zagreb Jewish Film Festival Association) will host the 1st Festival of Tolerance in Ljubljana. 

The international festival that will take place in Mini teater on Križevniška Street 1 and in the Jewish Cultural Centre Ljubljana on Križevniška Street 3 is not only a film festival, but  spreading the idea and importance of tolerance also to other fields. In addition to the interesting film programme, the festival will integrate alsoEducational morning about holocaust with Branko Lustig, a lecture Symbols of Hatred by Mirko Ilić,round tables and discussions with interesting guests and film-makers and a discussion with the protagonist of the Broken Silence, Orhan Galjus.

As a part of the festival we are preparing also a book presentation with dr. Janez Premk: Tracing Jewish Heritage: A Guidebook to Slovenia written by Janez Premk and Mihaela Hudelja, enriched with the additional cultural programme with Eva Premk Bogataj (vocal) and Janez Premk (guitar) performing two Hebrew songs.

The music programme will be a part of the festival programme also on the day of the opening, 4th of February at 7 pm when the introductory speech by the Honorary President of the Festival of Tolerance, Branko Lustig, the director of JFF Zagreb and the Festival of Tolerance Director, Nataša Popović, and the director of the Festival of tolerance in Ljubljana, Robert Waltl, will be followed by the performance of Mahdi Saadi from Palestina, student of Ljubljana Music Academy and member of the Ljubljana International Orchestra.

It is our great honour that the Antimasonic Posters Exhibition will also be a part of the Festival of tolerance in Ljubljana. The exhibition will be opened of February 7th by the graphic designer, illustrator and lecturer  Mirko Ilić and director of the National Museum of Contemporary History Kaja Širok, and will be displayed from 4th to 15th of February.

The Festival of Tolerance in Ljubljana stands as an important public platform, which year after year, and to an increasing public response, remembers and reminds us of the horror of the Holocaust - So we should never forget!

Under the leadership of Branko Lustig, double Oscar winner and a man who survived the Holocaust, we are building a cultural manifestation in Zagreb which connects its partners and friends whose mission is to spread ideas of tolerance, equality, understanding of our differences as a foundation of society which all of us deserve. Zagreb is not an only place in which we found an opportunity for developing our ideals, we found the same enthusiasm in Rijeka, Belgrade, Vienna, Sarajevo, Cetinje and Ljubljana.

We learn from history and we dont want to let monstruosities that happend during the Holocaust ever to happen again. The Holocaust, as the laying foundation of the program, serves as an ultimate warning about times and societies which lacked tolerance as an imperative of human intelligence and development. discriminated groups trought history and in the present day, not only the Jews but every man abused and unfairly branded for his orentation, ethnicity, political viewes or anything else. So we decided to constantly wanr society to thrive towards positive social change with our festivals programs.

We hope and believe that the diverse festival programme will interest and atract many in joining the promotion of tolerance as the basic principle of the modern civilised society. Tolerance and equality now no bounderies and every contribution is enormous! With the help of our partners, sponsors and donators in making the festival program available to all the tickets for all the festival programmes will be free of charge (All the festival programmes are free of charge. The number of tickets is limited. Free tickets are available at the Mini teater box office on Križevniška Street 1 in the opening hours. In case of availability the tickets will be available also before the screenings). Aiming to attract the largest possible audience the films will be subtitbled in Slovene and English.

Welcome to the 1st Festival of Tolerance in Ljubljana!

 

FILM PROGRAMME

The selected film program is composed of renowned films awarded by international festivals, while the audience will also get the opportunity of discussions after the screening with interesting guests from selected fields and the film-makers. Aiming to attract the largest possible audience the films will be subtitbled in Slovene and English.

The programme of the 5-day festival will integrate 15 films in 3 film sections (feature film, documentary film and short film) from 18 countries from all over the world:, France (1), Poland (1), Greece (2), Czech Republic (1), Israel (4), USA (4), Great Britain (1), Syria (1), Slovak Republic (1), Pakistan (1), Canada (1), Croatia (1), Turkey (1), Iran (1), Germany (2), Netherlands (1) and Slovenia (1).

 

EDUCATIONAL MORNING WITH BRANKO LUSTUG – ABOUT HOLOCAUST

Branko Lustig will hold a lecture on his own experiences from Nazi concentration camps, and from his own rich life experience stresses the message about the necessity of forgiveness and love for others others, as well as the need to respect each human being. In order for society, and especially younger generations, to learn about the Holocaust and this tragic epoch of human history, one needs to know how to approach them. Precisely for the purpose of teaching today’s children about the atrocities of WWII concentration camps, Branko Lustig has been tireless in retelling his experiences from the camps; about the horrors that must not happen ever again. Learning and remembering must not cease. It is learning and remembering that need to serve as a warning to future generation, because that is the only way to prevent such injustices to occur again. That is the message of Branko Lustig’s lectures.

 

LECTURE BY MIRKO ILIĆ – THE SYMBOLS OF HATRED

Mirko Ilić will hold a multimedial lecture. He will talk about the pervasive neo-fascist iconography in public areas on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and beyond. His lecture entitled The Symbols of Hatred discusses local and regional problem of public suppression or neglect of the graphic symbols and hate speech of neo-Nazi groups (skinheads, neo-Nazis and extreme soccer fans) which have recently strengthened, become larger and more violent.

The lecture will be comprised of two parts – the lecture by Mirko Ilić on the topic »Symbols of Hatred« and a discussion on the topic with the participants.

We believe that the response of the Slovene public after the revelation of the neo-Nazi groups that operate in Slovenia will be big.

 

ANTIMASONIC POSTERS EXHIBITION

The whole exhibition is comprised of 17 original posters and three replicated posters that were made based on photographies of the posters from the original exhibition in 1941. Exhibition is, for the first time after four decades, open in Zagreb in 2013. by the Festival of Tolerance, after that in Sarajevo and Tuzla, and last year in Belgrade and Trieste.

All posters communicate a message that all Jews are historic enemies of the Serbian nation and that Serbs should not wait for Germans to start their extermination. Judaism is portrayed in stereotypes and orthodox manner and figures as the source of all evil. This kind of anti-Semite propaganda pictured Jews as capitalist and socialists at the same time, as a conspiring Zionist power ruling all aspects of the European and even international economic life. All materials were created by graphic artists and designers who got their blueprints from the Nazi propaganda studio in Berlin.

Every similarity to the current situation in the world is a proof that some ideas never die and that a constant awareness of the generations about the crimes that have happened in the past for a better future together.

 

PROGRAMME

 

FESTIVAL OPENING

WEDNESDAY, 4TH OF FEBRUARY 2015

7 P.M.

 

THE OPENING

The Festival of Tolerance president: Branko Lustig

The director of JFF Zagreb in and the head of the Festival of Tolerance: Nataša Popović

The director og the Festival of Tolerance Ljubljana: Robert Waltl

 

PERFORMANCE BY THE MUSICIAN MAHDI SAADI FROM PALESTINA, STUDENT OF LJUBLJANA MUSIC ACADEMY AND MEMBER OF THE LJUBLJANA INTERNATIONAL ORCHESTRA; BACH CELLO SUITE 3 - PRELUDE, SARABANDE AND GIGE

 

INVITATION TO THE ANTIMASONIC POSTERS EXHIBITION (MIRKO ILIĆ)

THE EXHIBITION OPENING WILL FOLLOW ON SATURDAY, 7TH OF FEBRUARY, AT 6.30 PM)

 

THE OPENING PROJECTION

COLETTE (feature film, 126')

Arnost Lustig was one of the world's most renowned literary authors of our times. Lustig's novel 'A girl from Antwerp' upon which our film Colette is based, draws on the author's personal Nazi Concentration Camp experience and his own recollection of several escape attempts from the hell of Auschwitz. The story of The Pulitzer Prize nominee Lustig is about the power of love under an extreme life circumstances. It is a story of young lovers and their vigorous determination to escape from a hopeless life condition and theirs courage to face death.

 

d. Milan Cieslar

Actors: Jirí Mádl, Clémence Thioly, Jirí Bartoska

Slovakia, Czech Republic

126'

2013

 

THURSDAY, 5TH OF FEBRUARY 2015

11 A.M.

EDUCATIONAL MORNING

RUN BOY RUN (feature film, 107')

Academy Award winner Pepe Danquart brings to the screen the best seller novel by Uri Orlev. It's the true story of nine year old Jurek (Andy Tkacz), who escaped in 1942 from the Warsaw ghetto into the woods, where he must survive on his own until the end of the war. He learns how to sleep in trees and how to hunt squirrels with his slingshot. However, coldness and loneliness keep driving him back to civilisation. In the villages, Jurek meets those who will help him and some who will betray him. „Run, Boy, Run“ is a compelling film based on true events.

 

Awards:

Audience Choice Award; Jewish Film Festival of Dallas 2014

Audience Award - Best Drama; Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival 2014

 

d. Pepe Danquart

Actors: Andrzej Tkacz, Kamil Tkacz, Zbigniew Zamachowski

Germany, France, Polandc

107'

2013

 

THE FILM PROJECTION WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION AND TESTIMONIAL:

Branko Lustig

 

7 P.M.

NOT ANYMORE: A STORY OF REVOLUTION (short film, 15')

The story of the Syrian revolution as told through the experiences of two young Syrians, a male rebel fighter and a female journalist, as they fight an oppressive regime for the freedom of their people.

 

Awards:

Berlin Interfilm Festival - Best Documentary, HollyShorts Film Festival - Best Documntary, Palm Springs International ShortFest - Audeince Award and 14 other awards

 

d. Matthew Vandyke

USA, Syria, Turkey

15'

2013

 

HOLLY LAND (documentary film, 70')

Set in the most contested place on earth, “Holy Land” is a documentary film about the West Bank that follows three Palestinians and three Israelis over the course of a year. They come from across the spectrum: from Hamas to Peace Now. They are extremists, moderates, pursuers of a third way — not necessarily do gooders, but all passionate believers in a personal cause. They live on the same hills and under the same sky, but confront starkly different moral choices. They all face the real threat of sudden violence, the possibility of a third intifada or major regional war. They endure, all sharing a deep belief that this land is Holy — and worth dying for. The film is an ensemble story, presenting multiple narratives and perspectives, going beyond stereotypes to portray six compelling individuals and the struggles they have faced during the eventful seasons of the past year.

 

d. Zane Johnson

Lauren Morrison

USA, Palestina, Israel

70'

2014

 

THE FILM PROJECTION WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION

 

FRIDAY, 6TH OF FEBRUARY 2015

11 A.M.

Book presentation with dr. Janez Premk and Mihaela Hudelja: Tracing Jewish Heritage: A Guidebook to Slovenia written by Janez Premk and Mihaela Hudelja

The book is a result of years of research in the field of Jewish heritage in Slovenia. It offers historical and spatial coordinates of the places were inerasable trails were left by the Jews, as well as acquaints us with the parts of history with no remaining physical traces. The first comprehensive guidebook to the preserved monuments of tangible Jewish heritage in Slovenia, written by Slovenian authors, provides a thorough historic, artistic and cultural overview of Ljubljana, Bled, Gorizia, Ajdovščina, Koper, Piran, Izola, Maribor, Ptuj, Celje, Radgona, Murska Sobota, Lendava, Beltinci and other places, bearing traces of Jewish presence. The book is enriched by numerous photographs, documents, maps and detailed descriptions and sheds light on the often ignored part of cultural history.

 

ADDITIONAL CULTURAL PROGRAMME: TWO HEBREW SONGS - SHALOM ALEICHEM AND ELI, ELI – PERFORMED BY EVA PREMK BOGATAJ (VOCAL) AND JANEZ PREMK (GUITAR)

 

5.30 P.M.

GAMES (short film, 9')

The drama entitled “Games” takes place during the World War II in Zagreb and illustrates the danger of then prominent propaganda. Klara, aged ten, despite her mother’s orders, exits the apartment wanting to play with other kids.

 

ITW production of the Festival of  Tolerance

Actors: Janko Popović-Volarić, Ema Pražić, Jadranka Đokić

Croatia

 9'

2014

 

THE LADY IN NUMBER 6 (documentary film, 39')

The Lady In Number 6 is one of the most inspirational and uplifting stories of the year. 109 year old, Alice Herz Sommer, the world's oldest pianist and Holocaust survivor shares her story on how to achieve a long and happy life. She discussed the importance of music, laughter and how to have an optimistic outlook on life.

 

Awards:

Academy Awards - Best Documentary, Short Subjects

 

d. Malcolm Clarke

Canada, USA, Great Britain

39'

2014

 

7 P.M.

FREE FALL (feature film, 100')

Marc Borgman (Koffler), a young police officer, is on a training course for the riot control unit. He is struggling at the police academy, being somewhat behind his peers in his physical training. Cocky and self-assured, Marc does not initially get along with his roommate at the academy, Kay Engel (Riemelt). They have a physical confrontation during a training exercise, but afterwards Marc apologizes for his aggressive behavior and they become friends. The two begin jogging together regularly until during one jog Kay engages Marc sexually. Confused and hesitant, Marc initially rebuffs him and keeps his distance, but then acknowledges his attraction by continuing to share intimate encounters with Kay.

 

Simultaneously, Bettina, Marc's longtime girlfriend, is pregnant, and together they have just moved to a new house close to his parents. Complications arise when Bettina questions Marc's behavior: his returns home late from work after drinking and takes additional overnight assignments. Living a double life begins taking a psychological toll on Marc, as it becomes clear that acting on his feelings for another man could put his personal and professional life in jeopardy.

 

Awards:

Louisville LGBT Film Festival Audience Award

Out on Film, Atlanta Audience Award

Schwerin Art of Film Festivala Best direction Award

 

d. Stephan Lacant

Actors: Max Riemelt, Hanno Koffler

Germany

100'

2014

 

THE FILM PROJECTIONS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION

 

SATURDAY, 7TH OF FEBRUARY 2015

11. A.M.

BROKEN SILENCE(documentary film, 83')

In this beautifully told and stylish road movie travels Roma radio reporter Orhan Galjuš, born in Kosovo, along with filmmaker Bob Entrop through Germany, Poland and Kosovo. They try to discover why the Sinti and Roma people kept silent about the genocide committed on their people. During World War II nearly half a million of them were murderded. Step by step, Orhan finds that this part of the history of the Sinti and Roma is hidden – as a kind of treasure. He fears that future generations become alienated from their roots. What do these people – that for centuries lived in Europe – have do to be taken seriously? Why do they deny their origin, as at the time Picasso and Charlie Chaplin? What about the current generation of so-called “Gipsy’s”? Do they see the parallels between the persecution in history and exclusion and discrimination now? Does history repeat itself?

 

d. Bob Entrop

Cast: Orhan Galjus

Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Germany

83'

2013

 

THE FILM PROJECTION WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION WITH ORHAN GALJUŠ

 

5 P.M.

WHAT WE DO (short film, 8')

Ljubljana, present. Blaž Kužnik wakes up early in the morning and gets ready to go to work at the restaurant “Druga violina”. As he gets out of the car we can see that Blaž has Down Syndrome and has difficulties walking. In his work clothes, Blaž comes to serve guests and we follow him in his shift working from morning until late afternoon with a smile on his face. His best friend Peter has health problems too, but he is also very serious and enthusiastic about his job. Blaž talks about his life, work, friends, hobbies, desires and achievements.

 

Awards:

Best short film at Manhattan International Film Festival 2014

 

d. Maja Šubarić Mahmuljin

Slovenia

8'

2013

 

EAST JERUSALEM/WEST JERUSALEM (documentary film, 80')

David Broza, the Israeli singer-songwriter, sets out to realize his dream of cooperation and dialog between Israelis and Palestinians through music. During 8 days and nights of joint creation in an East Jerusalem studio a hopeful message of equality and unity arises.

 

d. Erez Miller, Henrique Cymerman

Israel

80'

2014

 

6.30 P.M.

OPENNING OF THE  ANTIMASONIC POSTERS EXHIBITION

The exhibition will be opened ob February 7th by the graphic designer, illustrator and lecturer  Mirko Ilić and director of the National Museum of Contemporary History Kaja Širok, and will be displayed from 4th to 15th of February.

 

These Anti-Masonic posters were first displayed on the Grand Anti-Masonic Exhibition (synonymous with anti-Semitism) held in Nazi-occupied Belgrade in October 1941. The exhibition made part of a propaganda campaign financed by the Germans whose intention was to further stir up hatred for the Jews.

 

7 P.M.

MAGIC MAN (feature film, 100')

78-year-old Avraham, a Greek Holocaust survivor, and his estranged Chasidic son find themselves together on a road trip through Greece. Back in the country he once escaped from, Avraham is confronted by the past, finds companionship in a beautiful Greek prostitute, and searches for the man who saved his life over 50 years earlier. Meanwhile, his son, Yehuda, is on a quest for his father's acceptance

 

Awards:

Awards of the Israeli Film Academy - Best Actor; Maui Film Festival - Audeince Award

d. Guy Nattiv, Erez Tadmor

Actors: Makram Khoury , Ariane Labed

Israel, Greece

100'

2014

 

THE FILM PROJECTION WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION

 

SUNDAY, 8TH OF FEBRUARY 2015

11 A.M.

LECTURE BY MIRKO ILIĆ: THE SYMBOLS OF HATRED

Mirko Ilic will hold a multimedial lecture. He will talk about the pervasive neo-fascist iconography in public areas on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and beyond. His lecture entitled “The Symbols of Hatred” discusses local and regional problem of public suppression or neglect of the graphic symbols and hate speech of neo-Nazi groups (skinheads, neo-Nazis and extreme soccer fans) which have recently strengthened, become larger and more violent.

 

The lecture will be comprised of two parts – the lecture by Mirko Ilić on the topic »Symbols of Hatred« and a discussion on the topic with the participants.

 

4.30 P.M.

SAVING FACE (documentary film, 40')

Every year hundreds of people are attacked with acid in Pakistan. The vast majority of the victims are women, who are left physically and emotionally scarred. "Saving Face" follows two of these survivors – Zakia and Rukhsana – as they fight for justice and seek to restore their lives.  Aiding them are London-based surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad as well as a host of Pakistanis standing up to these brutal crimes, with surprising results. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject, "Saving Face" is a more than an expose of this vexing social problem, it is a story of hope and resolve.

 

Awards and festivals:

2012. – Academy Award Documentary Short 2012. – Colombo, Sri Lanka – SAARC Film Award Best Documentary 2012. – New York Indian Film Festival – Best Documentary Film 2012. – Abu Dhabi Film Festival – Audience Choice Award, 2012. – Hannover, Germany – Juliane_Bartel Award, 2012. – Los Angeles – IDA Documentary Award

 

d. Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

USA, Pakistan

 40'

2012

 

6 P.M.

JUNK GIRL (short film, 15')

This is an animated adaptation of Tim Burton’s short poem (Junk Girl). "There once was a girl who was made up of junk. She looked really dirty, and she smelled like a skunk. She was always unhappy, or in one of her slumps-perhaps 'cause she spent so much time down in the dumps..."

 

d. Mohammad Zare

Iran

 15'

2014

 

WAR AND PEACE IN THE BALKANS (documentary film, 55')

Τhe Balkans are considered to be the powder-keg of Europe: the region that lit the fuse of the Great War which cost the lives of millions across the world. 

From the end of the Age of Empire, to the advent of nationalist movements and the outbreak of war, this six-part series uses rare archive footage to give landmark reassessment of the Balkan’s history, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WW1.

 

d. Andreas Apostolidis

Greece

55'

2014

 

8 P.M.

DANCING ARABS (feature film, 105')

DISCUSSION ABOUT FILMS

The story of Eyad, a boy who grew up in an Arab town in Israel, and was given the chance to go to a prestigious Jewish boarding school in Jerusalem - the first and only Arab to be accepted to it. Eyad desperately tries to fit in with his Jewish piers and Israeli society. He develops a friendship with Jonathan, a boy suffering from muscular dystrophy, and gradually becomes part of Jonathan's family, lending strength to Edna, Jonathan's single parent. Eyad falls in love with a Jewish girl - Naomi - and their relationship develops in secret until it falls apart and Eyad leaves the school. Eyad is an outsider, but he wants to belong, not really knowing to whom and to what ... and so he realizes that he must sacrifice his identity in order to be accepted. He has to take a decision that will change his life forever.

 

Awards:

Awards of the Israeli Film Academy 2014

Nominated:

Award of the Israeli Film Academy  Best Actor (Tawfeek Barhom), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Moshonov), Best Art Direction (Yoel Herzberg), Best Sound (Itzik Cohen)

 

d. Eran Riklis     

Actors: Yaël Abecassis , Ali Suliman, Tawfeek Barhom

Israel

105'

2014

 

All the festival programmes are free of charge. The number of tickets is limited. Free tickets are available at the Mini teater box office on Križevniška Street 1 in the opening hours. In case of availability the tickets will be available also before the screenings.

All the films are subtitbled in Slovene and English

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