San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

Mr. Cortisone, Happy Days

Part of special program Israeli Documentaries

Director Duki Dror in person: San Francisco, Berkeley

From the in-the-face, hand-holding, foot-to-foot opening shots of this phenomenal film, you recognize that Shlomi Shir is a talent to be reckoned with, shooting, directing and in front of the camera. The potent cinematography gets your attention immediately; the rainy nights, the portrait of a claustrophobic hospital room, the dreams of his wife in a swimming pool, the dog named Fellini, the dialogues with doctors and the mirrors are all visceral. This is an intimate tour de force. Some will call it a powerful personal documentary of a man's fight against cancer; it is that. And if you are a sucker for love stories and thrillers, you will be glued to the screen the minute Shlomi asks his pregnant wife if she is afraid.
But Mr. Cortisone, Happy Days transcends these definitions. We watch a spirited man confront a life-threatening illness, but there is also Shlomi's oh-so-Jewish sense of humor, his inventiveness (bowling with empty bottles and oranges), his cortisone-induced smarts and love of life. More importantly, Shlomi convinces us that the power of his art will be a cure and will bring a happy end to this story. "You know how to cope with fear. You put it in the frame and let it pass." The director charms one and all looking for salvation and finding it by creating, with Duki Dror, a cinematic masterpiece.--Erica Marcus

Co-presented by Bay Area Jewish Healing Center