Exodus 91

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The Opening Night reception of the 20th Austin Jewish Film Festival will be on November 3 from 7:15-8:00 PM at Shalom Austin before the November 3 showtime. This features vegetarian Ethiopian food, free drinks, and music; all included with your purchase of an event ticket, or possession of a pass.

A hybrid docudrama film that follows Israeli diplomat, Asher Naim, on a seemingly insurmountable mission to bring 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. As Asher learns more about these African Jews, he finds himself between worlds and facing a crisis of faith in himself and his country. The docudrama follows the behind-the-scenes politics leading up to Operation Solomon – the two day airlift in May 1991 pulled off in climactic chaos of the Ethiopian Civil War.

WHY WE LIKE THIS FILM: One of the best and most creative docu-dramas we’ve seen. The film does a great job of blending real footage and recreated scenes. It also makes a complex story, the civil war in Ethiopia and the exodus of Jews to Israel in 1991, easier to understand. Director Micah Smith and Executive Producer Gideon Naim (son of Asher Naim) will be at the festival to present the film at our opening night event.