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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, April 11,2003 . 5 CONTACT TTS THEA SAID IT 4 4 RITA RUDNER: “Ilove being married. It’s Story ideas? Questions? Comments? so great to find that one special person you E-mail us at gamecockmixeditorfa hotmail.com want to annoy for the rest of your life.” ■' 1 ■ - - ■■■- ■ - - --- —■■■ .. "i — ■■ 1 11 ——_ ■ .. . - ■ ■- 1 ■ ■■■■■.—; ■■■ ■ m. i..: i ...=: BY NIK RAMACHANDRAN THE GAMECOCK The Nickelodeon Theatre is once again in the midst of its an nual Jewish Film Festival. Because of the independent venue, Columbia is the only city of its size in the United States to offer this type of event. It started three years ago with the Cultural Arts Committee of the Columbia Jewish Community Center, which strives to encourage arts and culture by presenting pro grams to the Jewish community. This year’s festival showcases four feature films, a documentary and a film short. The productions hail from a mix of countries — Israel, France, Czechoslovakia and the United States. “Through film, we can gain un derstanding of the culture associ ated with varied people,” said Anne Raman; executive director of the .Columbia Film Society, Nickelodeon’s parent organization. “It is the film director's vision that makes this festival so unique.” “Kedma,” a film named after a European refugee ship that sailed toward the newly formed state of Israel, was shown the first two nights of the event. The film, which was released in ■ 2001, had its world premiere at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Filmed in a brutal and violent cinematic style, “Kedma" recreates the early battles involved in the Israeli na tion’s fragile be ginnings. The film shows a people ravaged by a war in Europe, only to be faced with an endless battle for its na tion’s creation. Beautiful poetic passages writ ten during the period are in serted into char acter dialogue, as the film rais es many moral questions, such as the merits of war and the per secution of in nocent people. The film is espe ciauy poignant given that it was filmed just days before the latest round of Arab-Israeli fighting broke out two years ago. The emotional final scenes of the movie show an elderly Arab man shouting that the Palestinian people “will remain as a wall” and “will father generations of rebel lious chil dren.” The scene then switches to a Jewish man who is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. “We have no history”; he proclaims through sobs, “suffering is what makes us Jews.” Many theatergo ers were as disoriented as the characters in the film, and some had tears in their eyes as they left the theater. Tamir Larren, a young Israeli man who has lived in the United States for the past three years, said thefilm was “a powerful statement” and showed “a contin uous war with no solution.” “Mistakes were made in the past that can never be undone,” he said, “and the director shows this through his film.” Not all the films shown were as intense as “Kedma.” “God is Great, And I’m Not,” a roman tic comedy, was screened Monday night. The movie, starring Audry Tautou (also star of “Amelie"), tells the story of a fashion model who converts to Judaism after being dumped by her boyfriend. She men meets a vegetarian, non-prac ticing Jew who resolves to convert his faith so mat me two can marry. Hilarious hijinks ensue in a Woody Allen-like fashion. I • On Sunday Afternoon at 2. a free screening of the documentary “Laihd of Promise’’ will be shown at the Columbia Museum of Art. Director Paul Keyserling will lead a discussion after the film, along with composer Meria Warshauer. who is a Columbia na tive. “Land of Promise” documents more than 300 years of the Jewish experience in South Carolina, from its earliest flays through modern times. The film notes var ious historical accomplishments, such as the first Jew elected to public ofTice, and addresses the many challenges Jews have faced in order to maintain their identity in the New World. “This film is worth seeing not just because of the history of the Jewish community', but also the level of tolerance and acceptance here in South Carolina,” Raman said. “It shows how a community documented their history and how you may document your own his tory in the present day.” Those attending the event should arrive early; seating will be limited for the screening. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Through film, we can gain understanding of the culture associated with varied people. It is the film direc tor’s vision that makes this fes tival so umq^. ANNE RAMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COLUMBIA FILM SOCIETY. NICKELODEON’S PARENT ORGANIZATION PLAY REVIEW Play breaches comfort zone “SPINNING INTO BUTTER" Trustus Theatre BY HILARY SCHRAMM THE CAMECOGK With its oversized, cushioned armchairs and personalized bas kets of popcorn, Trustus Theatre isn’t your average night on the town. In fact, it’s more like bring ing a play into your living room. This friendly, unassuming at mosphere and the small cast of its current production, “Spinning Into Butter," make the theater ex perience fun and casual. For in stance, before the show Wednesday, each audience mem ber met the director, who intro duced himself and handed out Butterfingers for “Candy From Strangers Wednesdays.” But within the homey setting of Trustus, “Spinning Into Butter” takes viewers out of their comfort zone to consider racism, both as a society and on a personal level. Faculty at a small, private col lege in Belmont, Vt., are forced to deal with racist threats toward a black student. As they decide how to help the student body and the college’s image deal with these threats, they consider their own attitudes toward race and dis crimination. ' Intriguingly, the audience nev er meets the endangered student, Simon. He remains an invisible icon of racism and its victims. This illustrates how the play is far more interested with personal intro spection than actually dealing with the problem at hand. The main character, Sarah Daniels (Erin Wilson), offers a cynical, multi-lay ered analysis of her own struggle with her racist views — both her recognition of them and her many attempts to deal with them. The most impressive perfor mances of the night were offered by Bob Hungeriford, who plays Dean Burton Strauss, and Don Mohr, the janitor Mr. Meyers. Hungerford presented his older, “assimilated’' character amus i.' Hi . I-Hii|m i m ingly yet convincingly. Mohr gave the most natural act of all — the audience was never provoked to question the authenticity of his character. Wilson, as Sarah, engages the audience through her actions and racist ideas. Her performance might have lapsed a few times, but overall, she succeeded as the most frail, human character of all. Through its connection with Sarah, the audience was able to follow the story, which otherwise might have seemed too intellectu al and detached. The production had a few weak ♦ ‘BUTTER’, SFE PAGE 6 PHOTO BY TRISHA SHADWEtl/THE GAMECOCK Paul Kaufmann plays Ross Collins in "Spinning Into Butter,” a play that deals with the racism of a small Vermont college. Dade County Resistance set to unveil first full-length album BY CHARLES TOMLINSON THE GAMECOCK After less than two years in the Columbia music scene, punk rock band Dade County Resistance will release its first full-length album, “Every Last Chance,” Friday night at the New Brookland Tavern. The band had planned to record a full album last year, but the recorded songs turned into the band’s “The Long Story Short” demo. Bassist Mark Emerson said the band was glad it waited to record a full album. “We’re really pleased with these songs and the way every thing turned out,” Emerson said. The band’s reaction to the al bum was “ ‘Wow, this is where we really want to be,’ " said gui tarist and vocalist Garrett Grashuis. “It was a natural pro gression of the band. ” “Every Last Chance” will be released on Illinois-based Trend Is Dead Records in conjunction with Grashuis' own label, Three Day Hero Records. Grashuis, a veteran of the Columbia music scene, also played in such bands as Self and Insult to Injury. The album affords Dade County the opportunity to explore a gamut of emotions, dynamics ♦ RESISTANCE, SEE PAGE 6 - Lefti Audrey ? autou, star of tf*C..French film “Amelfe,” headlines the f “God is And I’m tottom • photo the tary dof rSfc Simon _ l couple ion in “God And ng the MdTOS SPECIAL TO V TNE GAMECOCK . “cdck Garrett Grashuis, left, and Mark Emeh County Resistance * new album, w 'Ute JLM