THE MATCHMAKER presented by the Jewish Film Series

THE MATCHMAKER
Directed by Avi Nesher

*Nominated for 7 Israeli Academy Awards*
*Official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival*

Israel, 2010, 112 min. In this coming-of-age tale set in 1968 Haifa, restless 16-year-old Arik lands a summer job with the mysterious marriage broker Yankele Bride, a Romanian Holocaust survivor. Working from an office in back of a seedy movie theater that only shows love stories, Arik encounters a host of diverse colorful characters, misfits, and shattered Holocaust survivors. Arik opens his eyes to a changing Israel and experiences his first love as he falls for Tamara, who is full of talk of free love and rock and roll.  Both humerous and poignant, Avi Nesher's latest film tells a coming-of-age story unlike any you've ever seen before.

Special guest speaker: Isaac Zablocki, director of the Israel Film Center, a leading resource for Israeli film, at the JCC in Manhattan.

The Jewish Film Series, presented by Great Neck Synagogue and the Great Neck Arts Center, presents a sophisticated cross-section of powerful and thought-provoking films with an emphasis on films with Jewish themes and/or featuring Jewish artists and filmmakers. All films are followed by a discussion with a relevant speaker who will provide exciting insight into the film and its subject matter.