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An Audience Award Winner Internationally and Changing America’s Finally on DVD beginning March 24, 2009
Ilana Trachtman's feature-length documentary received a standing ovation at its world premiere at the 2007 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, where Variety enthused: "Trachtman captures a complex family dynamic in which Lior isn't the only intriguing personality…These people are so interesting, and Trachtman's handling so intimate and involving, it would be very welcome if she revisited the family every so often, 'Up'-style." Since then it has gone on to earn the highest grossing per screen average for an indie doc on opening weekend, to win audience awards at five different festivals, make top ten lists and gain critical acclaim. It was chosen by the State Department to screen at embassies around the world as an "ambassador" of American culture and filmmaking, and shown on Capitol Hill to support legislation to aid mothers carrying babies with Down syndrome. (The bill passed.) It will also be screened later this month at the upcoming Special Olympics in Idaho. Describing Lior's Bar Mitzvah, an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer stated, "pre-conceived notions joyously explode." Praying With Lior is now the centerpiece of an ambitious outreach campaign to change the way people with disabilities are perceived and received by faith communities. According to the National Organization on Disability, over 54 million Americans are disabled. Less than half of our houses of worship are handicapped accessible. Lior's story presents a dramatic opportunity to demonstrate the contribution that every individual can make, no matter how "special." Lior's example shows us that his presence actually enhances everyone else's religious experience. For it’s contribution to this discussion, the film has been honored with media awards from the National Down Syndrome Congress and the Association of Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Director Ilana Trachtman is a producer and director of several award-winning projects for PBS, Showtime, HBO Family and A&E, and had already proven adept at content-rich, character-driven cinema verité. Trachtman says, “I was not looking for a film subject, and I wasn't particularly interested in disability. I'm not sure I ever thought about disability. What I was doing had no connection to my career as a producer/ director. I was actually trying to pray. Searching for spiritual inspiration I attended a retreat for the Jewish New Year. As I sat in the service, anxious, distracted, counting the pages until I'd be free, I heard Lior's unabashed, off-key, ecstatic voice. When I turned to look at the source of this sound, I was struck to see a boy with Down syndrome. And I was surprised to find myself envious of this "disabled" child, who could pray as I wished I could. Over the course of this retreat, I stalked Lior, looking for the secret to his prayer.” “Soon after, I read the article Lior's late mother had written 7 years earlier, about her 5 year-old son who had Down syndrome and could pray like nobody's business. Devora ended the article wondering what Lior's Bar Mitzvah would be like, wondering if she would live to see it. Reading that prophetic question, and knowing that she died, I felt compelled to tell the story where the article left off.” “I didn't anticipate the passionate intensity of the audience response - the standing ovations, extended runs, rave reviews. While it's true that this film is about a Jewish child with a disability, it's the representation of unconditional love that affects people, inspiring them to write to me from around the world, each person also wanting a little bit of what Lior has.” Trachtman was recently named one of the Forward 50, the Forward newspaper's list of 50 most influential American Jews. According to the Forward, Lior "breaks the silence on special needs ... in the Jewish community, forcing a long overdue dialogue on a topic that touches many thousands of lives." The film features a soundtrack composed by the klezmer and bluegrass virtuoso Andy Statman, one of the most influential acoustic musicians of our time. The editor is the acclaimed Zelda Greenstein, and the cinematographer is Emmy Award-winning director/cameraman Slawomir Grunberg. This is the New York-based Trachtman's independent feature film debut. DIRECTOR ILANA TRACHTMAN IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS PRAYING WITH LIOR
AUDIENCE AWARDS FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY "CRITIC'S PICK! Triumphant. A small miracle!" -Washington Post |
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“One of the most meaningful documentaries I know” Available on DVD beginning March 24, 2009
Claire Bloom narrates tales of great rabbis and philanthropists and the story of the giant golem, created from clay to protect the Jewish people. The 12,000 stones may be covering as many as 100,000 members of Progue’s historic Jewish community. Under the German occupation in World War II, the cemetery was the only place where Jewish children were allowed to play. Later, under communists, lovers met there for trysts. Today the neighborhood and former ghetto has transformed into a fashionable area. The cemetery – and film – serve as a powerful reminder of the indomitable spirit of a people determined to honor their past and preserve the lessons of history. Allan Miller has produced and directed over 35 films and television programs around the world. He won an Academy Award for best Feature Length Documentary for his 1979 film FROM MAO TO MOZART - Isaac Stern in China, and in 1975 for THE BOLERO, Best Short Feature, with Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. SMALL WONDERS, the story of a violin program in the public schools of East Harlem, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996. Miller won a national Emmy Award in 1999 in the Classical Music and Dance category for his film ITZHAK PERLMAN - Fiddling for the Future, for PBS. In 1999 he completed THE TURANDOT PROJECT, in collaboration with Zubin Mehta and Zhang Yimou, in the staging of the Puccini opera in Florence and in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Other award winning films include MEMORIES OF EUBIE, with Eubie Blake; A HUNGRY FEELING - The Life and Death of Brendan Behan; HIGH FIDELITY – The Adventures of the Guarneri String Quartet; I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY AND I AM SAYING IT - JOHN CAGE; and NOVEMBER'S CHILDREN - Revolution in Prague. In 2001 Miller directed IN SEARCH OF CEZANNE, a docudrama, and BOATS LIKE SAILS, about a painting by renowned American painter Paul Resika. He completed PERLMAN IN SHANGHAI, in August, 2002. DVD BONUS FEATURES: PHOTO GALLERY, FILMMAKER BIOGRAPHIES Selected Praise for HOUSE OF LIFE: “You’ve enriched the world with ‘House of Life.’ Watching it was a sad but ennobling pleasure. It’s one “This poignant evocation moves the viewer to appreciate a very special memory – that of ancient stones.” HOUSE OF LIFE: The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague More Jewish Experience titles available at www.firstrunfeatures.com |
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Praying with Lior, the profoundly moving and entertaining documentary about an extraordinary family, a boy with Down Syndrome and his Bar Mitzvah, comes to DVD on March 24, 2009 following a year of success in theaters and festivals, churches and synagogues across the country and overseas.
This solemn yet joyous documentary tells the story of The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, the site of layer upon layer of buried members of the once-vibrant Jewish community of the ghetto. Nearly a million people from all over the world now visit the cemetery each year, and House of Life chronicals it’s history, which is rich in lore, mysticism, tradition, and philosophy. 