Pittsburgh Premiere
From Mozart to Billy Joel, Itzhak Perlman’s violin playing transcends mere performance to evoke the celebrations and struggles of real life. This poignant documentary looks beyond the sublime musician to see the polio survivor whose parents emigrated from Poland to Israel, and the young man who struggled to be taken seriously as a music student when schools saw only his disability. As charming and entrancing as the famous violinist himself, Itzhak is a portrait of musical virtuosity seamlessly enclosed in warmth, humor, and above all, love.

Pittsburgh Premiere
From Mozart to Billy Joel, Itzhak Perlman’s violin playing transcends mere performance to evoke the celebrations and struggles of real life. This poignant documentary looks beyond the sublime musician to see the polio survivor whose parents emigrated from Poland to Israel, and the young man who struggled to be taken seriously as a music student when schools saw only his disability. As charming and entrancing as the famous violinist himself, Itzhak is a portrait of musical virtuosity seamlessly enclosed in warmth, humor, and above all, love.

World Premiere
In a Dark Wood charts the path of composer Mathew Rosenblum’s “Lament/Witches’ Sabbath,” a highly personal concerto written for world famous clarinetist/composer David Krakauer. Filmed in Pittsburgh, New York City, and Boston, the film reminisces on the friendship of Rosenblum and Krakauer while exploring Rosenblum’s remembrance of his grandmother, who fled Proskurov, Ukraine in 1919, ahead of a massacre. This moving documentary tells a story of the endurance of family, the winding path of friendship, and the craft of composing music.

Pittsburgh Premiere
Two young Jewish brothers, forced to escape Nazi-occupied Paris, must separate from their family and find their way to safety, relying only on their courage and cunning, a bit of luck, and the occasional kindness of strangers. A suspenseful family-friendly adaptation of the acclaimed memoir of Joseph Joffo, A Bag of Marbles is filled with stunning scenery, remarkable characters, and a captivating story that audiences will find hard to forget. (Adult content: language, violence)

Pittsburgh Premiere
Two young Jewish brothers, forced to escape Nazi-occupied Paris, must separate from their family and find their way to safety, relying only on their courage and cunning, a bit of luck, and the occasional kindness of strangers. A suspenseful family-friendly adaptation of the acclaimed memoir of Joseph Joffo, A Bag of Marbles is filled with stunning scenery, remarkable characters, and a captivating story that audiences will find hard to forget. (Adult content: language, violence)

Introduced by Kuhu Tanvir, PhD student in Film and Media Studies.

Join us on March 22nd at 6:30 pm for a screening of the 2009 Chinese documentary, Autumn Gem at the Mt. Lebanon Library. Qiu Jin (1875-1907) was a radical women’s rights activist who defied tradition to become the leader of a revolutionary army, as she boldly challenged traditional gender roles and demanded equal rights and opportunities for women.The first female martyr for China’s 1911 Revolution, Qiu Jin is celebrated as a national heroine today.

Light refreshments will be served. Special guest commentator TBA.

A documentary film about the condomble spiritual culture of Bahia, Brazil. Grounded in strong community and Earth-Based wisdom, this vibrant tradition evolved the ways of enslaved Africans. The film explores Candomblé's history, social challenges and triumphs through the voices of extraordinary women leaders, including the film's narrator Alice Walker.

Free and open to the public.

SCHEDULE
Daytime panels/screenings will be in Cathedral of Learning 332
Evening screenings at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers’ Melwood Screening Room

Monday 30 April
10 am: Aleksei Rybin: All Will Soon End (2016) 112 min
Response: Florence Helbing
2 pm: Iusup Razykov: Turkish Gambit (2017) 76 min
Introduction: Ol’ga Shervud
Response: Nikhil Thomas Titus

A Violent Prosecutor (2016) is directed by Lee Il-hyung. A recent addition to the surge of political dramas in Korean cinema today, this film follows an unyielding prosecutor who, framed and convicted for murder, teams up with a con artist to catch the real murderer from behind bars.

Pizza and refreshments provided.