Quick Film News (1 cent)

We saw our final two films at the DC International Filmfest, "Hula Girls" and "My Mexican Shiva".

"Hula Girls" is the story of the 1965 closing of the Joban Coal Mine in Iwaki, and the conflict and depression which accompanied it. A group of city boosters decided to create a tourist destination, a Hawaiian theme park and to train local teenagers to be Hawaiian dancers. It is based on a true story, and deals primarily with emotions all around. Today, over 40 years later the theme park is going strong, and the performances continue daily.

In the movie, Iwaki seemed very remote, terribly ugly and overall a horrible place to be. Wheter this is an accurate portrayal, I do not know, but today it is a city of about 350,000, with museums, beaches, hotels, restaurants and, of course, the Hawaiian Center.

The movie has won some awards, but I found it a bit tedious. Three stars.

"My Mexican Shiva" on the other hand is a very clever and enjoyable movie. I hope it is shown again in Washington; I think large numbers of locals would enjoy it. Very basically, the father/grandfather falls dead of a heart attack at a reunion of his Yiddish Language Theater Company, and shiva occurs involving his largely estranged, and highly disfunctional family. His neurotic daughter, ready the fly off the hook at any moment, controlled if at all only by her stable husband. His adolescent son who is chronologically about 50. The son's ex-wife, a New Ager, living in Arizona. Their son, on the lam from a drug charge, who has become a ba'al tshuvah in Jerusalem, but is arrested by the Mexico City police on day two of the shiva. The daughters, two children, a son (with wife and baby) and single daughter living in New York. Many elegant old members of the Mexico City Ashkenazic commmunity. A Chaverman who runs the shiva. Two not quiet real orthodox rabbis, who are looking at the entire affair and judging the deceased. And many others, not the least of whom belong to a Mariachi Band. Five stars.