Title: It Is No Dream: The Life of Theodor Herzl Director: Richard Trank It is probably the second-most famous quote involving a dream: “If you will it, it is no dream.” It was the rallying cry of a different people — that of Zionist Jews longing to establish their own state, eternally etched into history — when written by Theodor Herzl in 1902. Richard Trank’s documentary channels Herzl’s immortal phrase to tell the story of a man with momentous ideals and a revolutionary approach to combating anti-Semitism and establishing a brave new future for the Jewish people, paying tribute both to a man and to his enduring legacy. Like many [ Read More ]...
- 8/10/2012
- by abe
- ShockYa
Studiously researched, It Is No Dream: The Life of Theodore Herzl reveals the life that informed Austro-Hungarian journalist-playwright Theodor Herzl‘s creation of the Zionist Movement, which ultimately led to the founding of the state of Israel. Directed by Richard Trank, the film uses Herzl’s diaries and photographs, correspondence and drama, as well as a limited but effective pool of other historical artifacts to recreate the dynamic world of central European Jewry that Herzl sprang from, while explaining the rapid development of his politic cause in a way that will resonate with both laymen and history buffs alike. Narrated by Ben Kingsley, it features some dexterous voice work by Christoph Waltz, who inhabits the voice of Herzl’s writings.
A documentarian veteran, Trank is the longtime principal writer/producer/director at Moriah Films, which is the documentary production wing of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Perhaps best known for...
A documentarian veteran, Trank is the longtime principal writer/producer/director at Moriah Films, which is the documentary production wing of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Perhaps best known for...
- 8/9/2012
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The First Amendment denotes a separation between Church and State. However, nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is there a clause proposing separation between Church and Oscar voters, which is why Rabbi Marvin Hier is able to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. How did this Talmudist and founder of the Jewish human rights organization, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, find himself voting for the year's best films? According to the New York Times, it all started through his production company, Moriah Films, which produces documentaries on contemporary Jewish history -- the first of which, "Genocide," was narrated by Elizabeth Taylor and Orson Welles. As Hier recounted to writer Michael Cieply: "On his way to the first day's voice work with [Elizabeth] Taylor, Rabbi Hier picked up a salted beef sandwich from a deli, so he could keep kosher. 'Rabbi, what is that delicious smell?' he recalls Ms.
- 2/3/2012
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
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