GJFF’s SummerFest’s bringing award winning-documentary to Greenville
August 19, 2024
An internationally acclaimed documentary about the bond between an Israeli-born dance instructor and his pupil from Mumbai will be making its South Carolina premier this Sunday thanks to the Greenville Jewish Film Festival.
This group that aims to create community connections through the medium of film will be hosting SummerFest Sunday, August 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Gunter Theatre, 300 S. Main Street, Greenville. The highlight will be the screening of Call Me Dancer, a story of perseverance, passion, culture and unlikely friendships directed and produced by Leslie Shampaine. Shot over the course of five years, Call Me Dancer has earned the Best of Fest Documentary at the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Directing Award at the 2023 South Asian Film Festival of Cincinnati and the Documentary Directing Award at the 2023 New York Indian Festival.
In addition to the screening, the festival is offering an optional Master Dance Workshop with Manish Chauhan, the star of the film, at the Gunter Theatre on Sunday, August 25 from noon to 1:30 p.m. with the ticket purchase. This one-of-a-kind intermediate/advanced masterclass features contemporary dance movement. Attendees can observe or take part in the class.
Tickets can be purchased through the Peace Center website at www.peacecenter.org. Adult tickets are $50, and people wanting to purchase student tickets at $25 can email [email protected] for the code. Tickets include: the dance workshop with Manish, the film screening, a guest appearance by Manish, and Indian Street Food from Saffron Indian Cuisine.
The film follows Manish Chauhan, a street dancer from Mumbai, whose working-class parents depend on their only son’s financial support. His life changes after he accidentally walks into an inner-city dance school and encounters the brilliant but curmudgeonly 70-year-old Israeli ballet master Yehuda Maor. The ambitious Manish becomes determined to make it as a professional dancer, but the odds are stacked against him. Together, Manish and Yehuda transform each other’s lives, searching to uncover who and what they are. Yehuda seeks purpose and a place to call home. Manish dreams of dancing on the world stage but struggles to break free from the confines of his economic and social circumstances.
About The Greenville Jewish Film Festival
The Greenville Jewish Film Festival, established in 2018, hopes to inspire the community to see beyond differences, and instead, connect over the ties that bind everyone – respect, love and humanity. The selection of movies allows for an opportunity to think critically and feel powerfully. Learn more at www.greenvillejewishfilmfestival.com.
