Date: 21 May 2017 6:15 PM - 23 May 2017 8:15 PM, Venue: Bethesda Row / E Street
The Washington Jewish Film Festival presents the triumphant story told by Zuzana Ruzickova, 90, and how she became a world-famous harpsichordist and interpreter of Bach in Czechoslovakia, despite three years in concentration camps and forty years of communist persecution.
Zuzana: Music is Life
Dirs. Peter Getzels and Harriet Gordon Getzels
(83 min, Czech Republic/United States, 2017, English and Czech with English subtitles)
Documentary, DC Premiere
Zuzana’s story is remarkable not just because she fulfilled her childhood dream of a career in music; but also in how she navigated a lifetime of political and anti-Semitic persecution, never letting go of her belief that Bach’s music transcended human suffering. Dispatched by the communists to perform in hundreds of concerts and competitions, Zuzana Ruzickova became a tour-de-force abroad, and a source of foreign currency for the regime at home. She is the only person to have recorded Bach’s entire keyboard works, which were released in November 2016 by Warner Music. Zuzana Ruzickova’s story transcends the personal, in a deeply affecting look at the redemptive power of art during Europe’s turbulent 20th century.
For tickets, click here.
Screenings
Sunday, May 21, 6:20 pm
Bethesda Row Cinema
Tuesday, May 23, 6:15 pm
E Street Cinema
This event is part of the European Month of Culture (EUMC). Now in its fifth year, EUMC is a month-long festival of innovative and creative events for the American public highlighting the diverse cultures of all 28 European Union Member countries. Enjoy film, dance, music, theatre, exhibits, language classes, workshops and more in great venues throughout Washington DC. Most events are free! To see all EUMC events, click here.
