Mandel JCC's Cleveland Jewish FilmFest

Gift to Stalin

(Israel, 2008, 97 minutes Hebrew/Kazakh/Russian with English subtitles Director: Rustem Abdrashev)

Thursday, October 22, 7:30 pm, Cedar Lee Theatre

Uprooted by Stalin’s regime, ethnic minorities are deported by rail to Central Asia under dreadful conditions. During a stopover, a Jewish boy, Sashka, is rescued by a Muslim rail worker. Lovingly cared for by a surrogate family in rural Kazakhstan, he encounters a series of adventures while dreaming of finding his exiled parents. The film is rich in imagery and symbolism and illuminates