ASHKENAZ FESTIVAL 2008 to September 1 at Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West). ashkenazfestival.com.
THE WORLD WAS OURS
(Mira Jedwabnik Van Doren)
Rating: NNNN
Director Mira Jedwabnik Van Doren uses a wealth of archival material and a well-written narration read by Mandy Patinkin to present the history of Jewish life in the city of Vilna, founded in the 12th century, claimed at various times by Lithuania, Poland and Russia, always home to a variety of cultures and always a centre of learning.
Van Doren puts her emphasis on the cultural explosion the Jewish community experienced between the two world wars. Footage of the city and its people animates the experts’ testimony and Vilna residents’ memories. Sadly, the images go by too quickly. There’s more story than fits into the one-hour running time.
Studio Theatre, August 30.
KINKY FRIEDMAN: PROUD TO BE AN ASSHOLE FROM EL PASO
(Simone de Vries)
Rating: NNN
Kinky Friedman’s led an interesting life and has enough character and charm to be pleasant company for 54 minutes, but this movie leaves too many questions unexplored to be a definitive portrait.
Friedman hit the scene in 1971 fronting Kinky Friedman and His Texas Jewboys, playing original country songs like They Don’t Make Jews Like Jesus Anymore. He toured and developed a following, but when the gigs dried up in the 80s, he turned to writing. To date, he’s penned 15 mysteries starring himself as a New York detective and launched a dog rescue operation from his Texas home.
Early in the movie, Friedman talks about never stepping out of his public persona. He’s true to his word, so we never find out why he turned to offensive humour when his goal was to become a major country star, nor why he took up mystery writing and never married.
Along with relatives and bandmates, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett and Bill Clinton show up to proclaim their fondness for his humour and unique personality. They don’t say much about the private Friedman either.
Studio Theatre, September 1.
