From the enduring legacy of one of Broadway's longest running musicals to a powerful feature film about "Operation Brothers" in Ethiopia and a case of mistaken sexual identity, don't miss these films playing once at SFJFF39.
Directed by Transparent producer Rhys Ernst and adapted by Ariel Schrag from her novel of the same name, Adam drops us down in the hipster lesbian and trans culture of Brooklyn, 2006. It’s essentially a coming-of-age story about a 17-year-old straight, cisgender male who falls in love with a lesbian after she mistakes him for a transgender man. Adam decides to maintain this Shakespearean deception and a satirical and nuanced exploration of identity ensues.
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Inspired by one of the most remarkable true life rescue missions ever, The Red Sea Diving Resort is the incredible story of a group of international agents and brave Ethiopians who in the early 80s used a deserted holiday retreat in Sudan as a front to smuggle thousands of refugees to Israel. Chris Evans (Captain America, Avengers) plays Ari Levninson, the Mossad agent who leads the mission together with courageous local Kabede Bimro, played by Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire). Posed as naive European entrepreneurs, the team he leads take advantage of the Sudanese government’s interest in expanding its feeble Ministry of Tourism to purchase a strategically located property along the Red Sea. Their plans are thrown for a loop, however, when real tourists begin arriving, expecting service.
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The documentary tells the story behind Broadway musical "Fiddler on The Roof" and its creative roots in early 1960s New York. “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles” includes interviews with the Broadway show’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick, legendary producer Hal Prince, original cast members, such as Austin Pendleton, as well as rare archival footage of choreographer Jerome Robbins.
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THE PASSENGERS tells the story of the Ethiopian Jews, and of the struggle for this final community to immigrate to Israel. The film follows the amazing journey of two young men, Demoz and Gezi, as they represent their abandoned community on a fateful mission in America. With intimate access and detailed historical context we follow the unlikely spokesmen, out of Ethiopia for the first time in their lives, as they deal with intense pressure, homesickness and ups and downs of a grassroots campaign, while growing personally from the life-changing journey. When only one of the pair of best friends is unexpectedly approved to immigrate to Israel, they must reconcile the decision and their hopes and dreams while facing an uncertain future.
Read More$300 Members / $325 General Public
The San Francisco Pass gives you premier entry to all SFJFF39 programs at the Castro Theatre including Big Nights and regular screenings (some exceptions may apply).