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Call Me Dancer screened at the Jewish Film Festival
The 33rd Annual Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival ended successfully with in-theater and virtual screenings that entertained, educated, and engaged a record audience around the Jewish experience.
33rd Annual Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival / Courtesy Photo
The 33rd Annual Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival ended successfully with in-theater and virtual screenings that entertained, educated, and engaged a record audience around the Jewish experience. The closing act was the documentary Call Me Dancer, that captures the extraordinary journey of Yehuda Maor, an Israeli-American ballet teacher who, after losing his job, finds a new purpose in teaching ballet to Manish Chauhan, a street dancer from Mumbai who has never seen ballet before. The hero of the film, Manish Chauhan, and the director of the film, Leslie Shampaine participated in a Q&A session moderated by Sramana Mitra, dancer and founder of Million by One Million.
The story caught the imagination of the audience who participated in the life of the charismatic and athletic Manish on his journey from Mumbai to his village in Himachal Pradesh, the dancing schools in Mumbai, Israel, New York, and finally the penultimate performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Gasps escaped the audience members as they watched riveted to their seats. “Oh My!” said the grandma sitting in the audience as Manish said “ I dropped out and gave my school fees to the dance school without telling my parents “ Her dismay turned to a surprised harumff when Manish’s old grandmother told Manish to follow his dreams and she would have a word with his father.
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Manish Chauhan and the director of the film, Leslie Shampaine / Courtesy PhotoThe dreams of the parents who depended on their sons for their retirement were shared across races, cultures, and religions. Aspirations hopes and struggles of Manish’s mother and father were shared by the members of the Jewish audience. Whenever they appeared on the screen the audience members delightfully chortled. Chauhan’s determination was appreciated by the parents in the audience.
Yehuda’s observations on India struck a chord too. When he was exasperated with the heat and feared crossing the street they chuckled. The incentive of a Starbucks coffee used by Yehuda to motivate Manish drew an understanding laughter from the audiences whose children were Manish’s age.
The director has showcased India in its true light and not aimed at eyeballs with stark shocking images. The focus of the camera is on Mumbai’s skyline and cheerfulness. The camera person’s insightful capture of Manish’s emotions over the period of five years is masterful. The surprise in Chauhan’s eyes when he hears his grandmother tell him to follow his heart, the dulling of the light in his eyes when Yehuda tells him he will never be able to join a classical dance company, the eagerness on his face as he watches the Israel dancers for the first time are all captured beautifully.
Soon Manish’s success became their success. The audience cheered when the screen showed him as a member of New York’s Peridance Dance company.
At the reception that followed the film, Manish Chauhan was questioned by the audience on the whys and what ifs of his life.
The yummy treats were enjoyed by the moviegoers. The chocolate Babka found favor as did the fruit salad.
“ I loved the movie. It was so different from the other movies we have watched at the film festival,” send an attendee.
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