Sarah Orenstein Movies

2007  
R  
Add Fugitive Pieces to QueueAdd Fugitive Pieces to top of Queue 
Author Anne Michaels's poetic novel comes to the screen courtesy of director Jeremy Podeswa in this period drama concerning a Holocaust survivor who remains eternally haunted by the uncertain fate of his beloved sister. Athos (Rade Sherbedgia) is an archeologist conducting a dig in Nazi-occupied Poland. When Athos discovers a seven-year-old boy named Jakob (Robbie Kay) hiding near the work site, he smuggles the frightened boy back to Greece and promises to shelter him when the Nazis come knocking there as well. Having previously witnessed the brutal massacre of his family at the hands of Hitler's henchmen, Jakob longs to find out what fate befell his sister, Bella (Nina Dobrev) -- who wasn't executed with the majority of his other relatives but subsequently disappeared without a trace. After the war, Athos and Jakob emigrate to Toronto in hopes of starting a new life. But even after all these years, Jakob (Stephen Dillane) can't seem to shake the grief of losing his family and not knowing what ever became of Bella. Later, when Jakob marries the radiant Alex (Rosamund Pike), the bright-eyed beauty does her best to illuminate the dark corners within her husband's soul. To maintain one's connection to ghosts requires a certain shunning of the living, however, and only when Jakob discovers the strength to let go of his painful past will he finally be able to move forward into the future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Stephen DillaneRade Sherbedgia, (more)
 
2007  
 
Devices that enhance and block our vision are playfully at odds in this animated short subject from filmmaker Sarah Orenstein. Over the course of five minutes, doors and windows appear and disappear in a long hallway as shadow puppets play upon the walls, random objects cohere into people and animals, and castoff junk comes to vibrant life. Windows Masks Doors was created by Orenstein as her thesis film while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design; it was screened at a number of major film festivals, including South by Southwest, Slamdance and Renderyard. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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2006  
 
Add Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front to QueueAdd Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front to top of Queue 
You've met Samantha and Felicity, and in this, the third installment of the American Girl series, viewers are treated to an all-new family-friendly adventure that will warm your heart during the chilly holiday season. Molly Ringwald and Maya Ritter star as director Joyce Chopra brings the best-selling books about the lovable Molly McIntire to life on the big screen for the first time ever. The year is 1943 and war is raging across the globe. Molly's father is tending to wounded soldiers far from home, and all of the rubber rationing and turnips have gotten put the usually cheerful youngster into an uncharacteristically drab mood. To make matters worse, young Molly soon discovers that her father will not be able to return home for the holidays. But Molly isn't about to let her spirit be broken by the fact that her father is away performing his patriotic duties. Thanks to a little help from her family and friends, Molly is about to learn a lasting lesson about the importance of pulling together in times of need. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Maya RitterDavid Aaron Baker, (more)