Jewish Days of Culture and the SERET International Film and Television Festival open in Berlin to filled venues

By Oliver Bradley

In Berlin, Jewish culture and creativity continue to thrive despite the backdrop of anti-Israel and Antisemitic sentiment and the challenges faced in recent months. The Jewish Culture Days and the Seret International Film Festival have launched successfully in the German capital, drawing enthusiastic crowds and showcasing the resilience of Jewish artistic expression.

Despite an array of looming threats, the Jewish Culture Days were able to commence without incidents with a vibrant performance by Israeli star Shiri Maimon, whose recent Broadway success in the musical “Chicago” has further cemented her international acclaim. Her appearance highlighted the festival’s commitment to celebrating Jewish culture through diverse artistic forms.

Meanwhile, the Seret International Film Festival, renowned for its focus on Israeli cinema, also opened without any hitches and with notable flair. The festival’s opening film, “Monkey House” by acclaimed Israeli director Avi Nesher, was introduced with a red-carpet event featuring Israeli comedienne and actress Shani Cohen.

Seret’s collaboration with the Jewish Culture Days has been a cornerstone of its Berlin presence for three years running, expanding its audience and influence.

This year’s series of Seret festivals faced significant challenges, including threats of boycotts and calls for cancellations, particularly in the runup to its May opening in the United Kingdom.

Despite these obstacles, Seret’s co-founders, Odelia Haroush and Patty Hochmann, have stood firm. Haroush and Hochmann expressed their determination to resist censorship and continue promoting Israeli culture through cinema. Their commitment was echoed during the Berlin festival’s opening, underscoring a broader resolve within the Jewish community to uphold cultural and artistic endeavors amid adversity.

‘’It was not a given that the Seret Festival would take off this year. But in the end, we were successful and were not torn asunder’’, Patty Hochmann told EJP prior to the festival’s opening.

Both the Jewish Days of Culture and SERET will continue until September 22. Seret films will be screened in Berlin Hamburg and Frankfurt.

Details and programmes:

https://www.juedische-kulturtage.org/programm

https://www.seret-international.org/category/germany_24/