Feature Films
Inside Hana's Suitcase
Director: Larry Weinstein
Canada Czech Republic, 2009
90 min.
Feature Film Grades 7 - 8
The delivery of a battered suitcase to Fumiko Ishioka at the Tokyo Holocaust Museum begins the true-life mystery that became the subject of Karen Levine's best-selling book Hana's Suitcase. The suitcase came from the Auschwitz museum and had Hana Brady's name roughly painted on it. Larry Weinstein's masterful film follows Fumiko's search to discover the details of Hana's life, which leads to the discovery of her brother George in Toronto. As small children they had been incarcerated for being Jewish after the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. A superb musical score by Alexina Louie and Alex Pauk, coupled with dramatic re-enactments stunningly shot by Horst Zeidler, catches us by the heart to invoke the tragedy of the times. The voices of children from Japan, Canada, and the Czech Republic telling Hana's story are woven around the drama, along with George's memories and Fumiko's quest, to create a film of astonishing power and hope.
King Siri
Director: Somaratne Dissanayake
Sri Lanka, 2008
88 min.
Feature Film Grades 4 - 6
Professional reader during screening.
Sirimal is a gifted eleven-year-old boy from a small Sri Lankan village who enjoys his rural life and appreciates the traditions and cultural values instilled in him by his parents. But his talents and intelligence have won him a scholarship to attend a prestigious school in the capital city of Colombo. Trading in bare feet for shoes and blisters, Sirimal reluctantly sets off for his new surroundings.
Coming from a poor rural family, he has difficulty at first adjusting to an urban world among the school's well-to-do boys. Though he is taunted by bullies and misses village life, Sirimal's strong work ethic and self-belief help him to cope. Landing the lead role of the king in an important school play brings him new-found respect from his peers, but also delivers a seemingly insurmountable challenge: getting the money to pay for the elaborate costume.
A wonderfully moving tale that audiences will relate to, King Siri addresses the prejudice and power dynamics stemming from socio-economic class difference, and looks at the importance of having a connection to your land and culture. Pairing engaging performances with breathtaking cinematography of Sri Lankan landscapes, King Siri is also a film about seeing beauty in the smallest things, and how finding strength in yourself can help guide you through the toughest challenges.
Stella and the Star of the Orient / Stella und der Stern des Orients
Director: Erna Schmidt
Germany, 90 mins, 2007 90 mins
German with English subtitles
Feature Film Grades 1-3
Subtitles will be read aloud during this screening
Ten year-old Stella steps into an old wardrobe and naturally enough steps out 100 years earlier! Stella comes face to face with her own great-grandmother Clementine when she was Stella's age. Clementine and her brother Gustav go with her on a wild adventure. The three new friends quickly discover that the family home might be sold off. And so begins a race against time: they must find the lost treasure to save their home and they must get Stella back to the present day - otherwise she might never exist in the first place.
Winner Best of Fest Award, Chicago International Children's Film Festival.
