Whatever you may think of her, Marine Le Pen certainly has the courage of her convictions. Last week, the leader of France’s far right National Front party officially distanced herself from her father, Jean Marie Le Pen, its founder and honorary chairman, in an astonishing parting of the ways. Ms. Le Pen, who has been […]
The annual Toronto Jewish Film Festival , far and away the premiere cultural event in Toronto’s Jewish community, runs from April 30 to May 10. This year’s edition offers a great selection of 110 feature films, documentaries and shorts from 18 countries. A preview: Nazi Germany’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, understood the allure of film, […]
While waiting for a bus in Manhattan on August 29, 1959, Raphael Lemkin collapsed, dying a few hours later. He was 59. Only seven people attended his funeral, according to New York Times columnist A. M. Rosenthal. Lemkin, a Polish Jew, was on his way to meet his literary agent. They were to discuss his […]
The “organic” revolution is big business these days. By one estimate, organic products — from food to fast-fashion — gross $64 billion around the world annually. Some consumers swear by organics. Still others are skeptical. Where does the truth lie? Richie Mehta’s five-part series on Vision TV, Organic Panic, which starts on Monday, April […]
As the Israeli violinist Ivry Gitlis observes, Jascha Heifetz was “a God-given gift for a God-forsaken world.” Probably the greatest violinist of his generation, Heifetz (1901-1987) bequeathed a musical legacy that endures. Through concerts and recordings, the Lithuanian-born Jewish virtuoso set the gold standard for generations to come. He’s the subject of a forthcoming documentary […]
Tikal, one of Central America’s most heralded archeological sites, lies deep within a trackless rainforest in Guatemala. Containing the mouldering ruins of a great Mayan empire which reigned supreme more than 1,000 years ago, Tikal is far from the beaten track, an enclave within Tikal National Park, 300 kilometres north of Guatemala’s capital, Guatemala City. […]
In Olivier Assayas’ two-hour feature film, Clouds of Sils Maria, which opens in Toronto on April 10, the alluring Juliette Binoche plays the role of Maria Enders, a successful French actress in her late 40s who’s torn by doubts about her acting abilities. Tired and preoccupied with divorce proceedings, she looks old and frumpy when the […]
Having harshly criticized the nuclear framework agreement signed by Iran and the six major powers in Switzerland on April 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a campaign to ensure that the final accord, due to be signed on June 30, will be substantially strengthened by iron-clad guarantees and safeguards. Netanyahu’s fears are understandable. […]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the framework nuclear agreement signed by the six major powers and Iran in Lausanne on April 2, following eight days of gruelling talks, exceeds his worst fears and threatens Israel’s survival. What he fails to mention is that it will probably save the Middle East from another war. […]
How did Holocaust survivors manage to cope after their horrific ordeal in Auschwitz? Could they lead productive lives ever again? Could they shake off their traumas? Could they function as normal human beings? Touched by Auschwitz, an empathetic BBC documentary written and directed by Laurence Rees and scheduled to be broadcast by Vision TV in […]