"The Wave" ("Die Welle") May 22, 2008

From Sundance and Berlin to the JCC SF

This past January it appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. On Thursday, May 22 "The Wave"--a film based on Bay Area teacher Ron Jones' 1968 classroom experiment in fascism--will be screened for one night only at the JCC SF. "The Wave" (or "Die Welle"), a German feature film exploring the appeal and the dangers of fascism in a contemporary German town, was made by acclaimed director Dennis Gansel. It is being distributed world-wide except in the United States. It may be your only opportunity to view this important film. And following the movie the teacher and the students involved in this experiment 40 years ago will be interviewed on stage. These students will be speaking out about what really happened at their Palo Alto High School for the first time. It went largely unreported in the United States. Even so Ron Jones written account of the experiment was so compelling that in 1981 Norman Lear produced it as a TV movie. The book version of "The Wave" has become a phenomena and has sold over 3 million copies around the world. It's also been translated into 11 languages and is now required reading for every German student. What's more, "The Wave" has been adapted for the stage, as both a musical and a straight play in Russia, Germany, France, Spain, Israel and many other countries. Again, on Thursday, May 22 the JCC SF will present the only scheduled screening of "The Wave" in the United States.

This screening also serves as a benefit for The Marsh.

"Die Welle (The Wave) is chilling . . . seductive and horrifying--an assured piece of film making."
- Variety Jan 30, 2008

"It can happen again . . . Don't miss Die Welle"
- Der Spiegel, March 2008

WHAT
DIE WELLE
(in German with English subtitles)

WHEN
May 22, Thursday at 7:00

WHERE
Jewish Community Center - SF
Kanbar Hall
3200 California
San Francisco

TICKETS/INFORMATION
$20.00
tickets can be purchased at the door
or in advance at brownpapertickets.com

Official Website: http://themarsh.org/die_welle.html