News

The film by the Lithuanian producer Audrius Juzėnas, “Ghetto”, was announced the best cinema film and awarded the main prize in the Worl Jewish Film Festival “Jewish Eye”, which took place on 14 – 22 November in Ashkelon.

The festival “Jewish Eye” is the fourth international Jewish Film Festival. 80 films were selected by the special committee for the international competition. Festival jury nominated the winning films in the following categories: cinema films, documentary features, and television films.

The film “Ghetto”, based on the popular play of the famous Israeli playwright Joshua Sobol, is co-produced with Germany. The film is based on true events of the years of the war. The action is set in Vilnius ghetto (1942-1943) during the years of Nazi occupation.

The film tells a fatal and extremely tragic story of passionate love and terrible hatred that started between a Nazi officer – former actor and jazz musician, and a Jewish girl – a star of the musical world. Due to this fatal love a theatre is founded in the Vilnius ghetto.

Audrius Juzėnas, the producer and Joshua Sobol, screenplay writer, specially arrived to the premiere screening of “Ghetto” in Israel on November 19th. They shared their thoughts about the film, and the motives of creation. After the creening both answered the numerous questions of the abindant audience with the skill of the master and did not try to conceal their satisfaction with the sincere and responsive reaction of the audience to the moving film.

Lithuanian Ambassador Asta Skaisgirytė Liauškienė attended the prize announcement ceremony for the winning films on November 22nd. Mr. Roni Mahatzri, Mayor of Ashkelon, delivered the certificate to the Ambassador and informed that the trophy and the cash prize wil be handed to Audrius Juzėnas by Israeli Embassy.