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Tuesday, July 14, 8:45pm, Little Theatre THE GIFT TO STALIN 8:45 PM, Little Theatre Director: Rustem Abdrashev, Israel/Kazakhstan/Russia/Poland, 2008, 97 min., Hebrew/Kazakh/Russian with subtitles Uprooted by Stalin's regime in 1949, a train-full of ethnic minorities is deported to Central Asia under dreadful conditions. During a stopover, a Jewish boy, Sashka, is found in a rail car. Rescued by a Muslim rail worker, he is cared for by a surrogate family in rural Kazakhstan, yet dreams of finding his exiled parents. Contemporary scenes from Sashka's spiritual homeland of Jerusalem are intercut with memories of his home life, creating a rich texture that deepens the film's shattering conclusion. Gorgeous panoramas of the vast Kazakhstan Steppe (grassland region) dazzle the eyes, as Sashka's story touches the heart. Generously underwritten by Brighton-Memorial Chapel Back to film festival schedule »  
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