Film Reviews

On a winter morning, a mother goes to waken her son Heinrich; his bed is empty. She leaves her flat to find him. The neighbors' door, with a Star of David painted on it, is ajar, the furnishings in disarray, the family gone. She asks passersby, runs to the police then on to the rail yard. Flashbacks show that Heinrich and the neighbors' son Paul are six years old and best friends. Paul's family's deportation is expected soon; Heinrich's mother tells her son that they're going to Toyland. Heinrich wants to go with them, has a bag packed, and listens for their departure. His mother realizes he's joined them, and her resolve becomes more urgent. Will she arrive in time to save Heinrich?

Growing up in Granada, Spain, young David Fandila always dreamed of being a matador. This documentary captures the rise of "El Fandi," one of Spain's most renowned bullfighters, who first entered the ring at age 14. While it's never in doubt that Fandila is at the top of his game, filmmakers Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey weigh the significance of bullfighting as a cultural tradition against its inherent danger and cruelty.