The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film began this weekend and continues through this Sunday.

A scene from 'A Matter of Size' on opening night.

I corresponded with some of the organizers of the event to get their thoughts on being Jewish in Hampton Roads, their selection process, and the Jewish tradition of story-telling.

AltDaily: Why a festival of Jewish films?

(Answered by Gloria Siegal,  Co-chair of the screening committee)

The richness of the history of the Jewish religion spans centuries – longer than any religion. Therefore the impact historically and culturally is diverse and fascinating. Many filmmakers find the “Jewish Experience” worthy of documentation, therefore… A festival to celebrate the many films being made.

I’m Jewish, though more so culturally than religiously. When I conceptualize my Jewishness I think more about a love of ideas, learning, and story telling than I do of anything from the Torah. In this way, the arts are an essential part of the Jewish experience. Would you agree?

(Answered by Siegal)

Being a Jew can be interpreted many ways… From the most devout to the non-believers. Storytelling, love of Jewish ideas and learning are all party of the Jewish experience.

The touching "The Little Traitor" plays this weekend.

If you’re not part of a congregation, being Jewish in Virginia can feel quite lonely, in that respect. Is part of the impetus for the event to foster a sense of community among Jews in the area?

(Answered by Siegal)

Being Jewish in Virginia, in any city, does not depend up being a member of a congregation. This festival documents historical and cultural events that Jews can relate to and in that respect, fosters a sense of community.

There is obviously a huge chasm in lifestyles, experiences, and Jewish identity between American Jews and Israeli Jews. How do the films in the festival work to bridge that gap?

(Answered by William Laderberg – Co-chair of the screening committee and employee of Naro Expanded video store.)

A film festival can teach, but it is mostly for entertainment. Rarely can a film alone bridge a gap.

Tell me about the screening process. How were these films chosen?

(Answered by Teviya Abrahams, Coordinator for the film festival.)

We have a screening committee lead by Gloria and William and they do most of the work researching what is out there. They start by looking for films that are getting awards, are getting positive feedback from critics, and that have an interesting concept or perspective. Nearly 150 films will fall into this category yearly, which we then we request to view the films from distributors. This can be a lengthy process because films can change distributors quite frequently as they gain international acclaim. William and Gloria pre-screen the films to help eliminate and then pass on to the other 14 members of the committee. We narrow the films down to 10 by thinking about what our audience will enjoy and to have variety in topics presented.

A scene from 'Eyes Wide Open', which ends the festival on Sunday.

What’s your personal favorite film in the group and why?

(Answered by Siegal.)

Eyes Wide Open – beautiful and groundbreaking love story between two religious men.

Why the Roper Performing Arts Center?

(Answered by Abrahams.)

We have had a partnership with the Tidewater Community College for 6 years now, they allow us to use the Roper Center on their campus. We are happy to have our festival here, it is beautiful theater and enhances the “film festival” experience to have it in a historic movie palace, the restored Loew’s Theater.

How about the way people hear or see a story? Do you think, as a Jewish person, you identify with characters and stories in a different way than you might if you didn’t have the collective memory of our ancestors?

(Answered by Abrahams)

I think that the way you see, hear and interpret a story is very personal and unique to each individual. Everyone is bringing their own combination of experiences to the table and notice and identify parts to make the story work for them at the time. I think what stands true even if we didn’t have the collective memory of our ancestors, is that we are a minority group and that gives us a more direct understanding of characters that stand out because they are different, which is a common thread in many films of all genres.

The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film takes place through Jan 31 at the Roper Performing Arts Center.  Click here for more information or to buy tickets.