By Rachel Galvin

Stills by Peter Nemeshazi/ JDog Films

At heart, this is a story about a boy and his dog, but, being that it was set beginning in 1930s Germany and going into World War II, it becomes much more complicated than that.

A Jewish family’s dog has puppies and, one by one, the family begins giving them away because they simply cannot keep them all. In the end, they are left with the mama dog and its baby Kaleb. But as the Nuremberg Laws begin to be put in place to suppress Jewish rights, including saying that Jews cannot own pets, they must decide what to do with the two that are left. The story follows the last dog to leave, Kaleb, the youngest son’s beloved, as he goes on his own journey. Not everyone wants Kaleb and he dreams of the loving household he was forced to leave behind. He realizes his former family has gone away.

Eventually, he becomes the property of an SS officer who shows him love and trains him to be the best dog in the bunch, which leads him to being sent with his new owner to the work camps. There, he is reunited with the youngest son, Jacob, and they have an adventure of their own.

The film was based on a book, which is not a true story, written by Asher Kravitz. It was adapted for film by Lynn Roth, who also directed the film.

Asked how she came across the book, Roth said that the story found her. She explained, “I was teaching a class in Israel, teaching kids how to pitch. A student came in with an idea that his friend was writing but he wanted me to know about it. The idea of a dog during the Shoah was too intriguing to let go.”

Before doing this film, she had made a film that was released in 2007 called “Little Traitor,” which she said was very successful in South Florida. “Still today, it is the longest-running film that Movies of Delray ever had,” she said.

It took her eight years to get the funding together for the film “Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog,” which is a low-budget independent film. They shot the entire film in Hungary and were able to use practical sets for everything, including the work camps, which had been used for movies in the past. She also found probably the most important aspect of the film in Hungary– the dogs and, along with them, the dog trainers, who she said are the go-to people for anyone making a film in Europe. Since she lives in Los Angeles, the only way to check in on the training of the dogs was to do it via Zoom and emailed videos. It took a long time to do the training.

They rotated the dogs, using different ones for different actions … like growling, swimming, attacking, etc. But the main one used was the one used in the close-ups. The dog they wanted her to use did not make enough eye contact, so she chose another.

There is a part near the beginning of the film when the family sees many different types of dogs, and the dogs and their owners look alike! This was a funny moment, and the type of lighthearted feeling she hoped to achieve in that part of the film. “I wanted it to be lighter in the beginning,” she said, hoping to show how the family was interacting with each other before things got really bad. Things were not perfect, but they were able to laugh and have fun with each other, but things progressively got worse. As far as finding dogs that matched up with the people, she said she found those dogs also in Hungary and matched the people to the dogs.

In order to achieve the truism needed for this period piece, Roth had to work long and hard to find the right props, wardrobe, etc. “Every step of the way, we researched very carefully,” she said. In Hungary, again, she said she found “a wonderful wardrobe person,” and was able to find everything else she needed.

They were able to make what she calls “a miracle” film within only a month, and with a great aesthetic, very much like is often seen, she said, in European films.

The little boy in the movie, Jacob, played by August Maturo, becomes the lead actor in the film, along with the dog, Kaleb. Before doing this film, he had built quite the repertoire, including working on a TV series called “Girl Meets World.” While that show was a comedy, this film required intense emotions, something Roth said was not difficult for the young actor, as his emotions were close to the surface. “He feels very deeply,” she said.

Roth mentioned that his mother, Shoshonna, played by popular Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer, is known for shows like “Shtisel,” as well as “Losing Alice” and films like “Man of Steel,” among others.

Asked what she hopes people will come away with after seeing the film, Roth said, “I hope people see … what we can learn from animals. I learn so much from my dog – loyalty, the ability the forgive, their joy… We should study them more. Life would be better.”

She added that there is bad and good in people, but if there was more good, then life would also be better. “There is not enough emphasis on how to be good. It is not so hip to be bad. There is something to be said for bringing out the good in all of us.”

The film will be released in South Florida starting on June 11 at the following theaters: Regal South Beach in Miami, Regal Magnolia Place in Coral Springs, Regal Westfork in Pembroke Pines, Movies at Lake Worth in Lake Worth and Regal Royal Palm Beach in Royal Palm Beach. To see additional theaters nationwide and internationally, and to see more information, visit www.shepherdjewishdogmovie.com

By Rachel Galvin

Gloria Steinem– you love her, you hate her but you are likely to know her name. The activist who is known for her work in advocating women’s rights and beyond, and starting Ms. Magazine, is the topic of this biopic called “The Glorias” based on Steinem’s book called “My Life on the Road”, and this film, directed by Julie Taymor and Sarah Ruhl, takes you on quite the trip… sometimes it is more like an acid trip… but a trip down memory lane to be sure.

So, the thing about this film is that it jumps … It jumps between time periods, between different Glorias… well, the same Gloria, but at different age ranges. Each has its own angst and issues with which it finds itself battling. And, sometimes, they talk to each other… in black and white…

And then, there are those acid trip moments when a seemingly normal interaction is happening and then reality falls away and takes us into some rabbit hole we are not sure we will escape. A conversation between Gloria and a chauvinistic interviewer becomes a whirlwind of Glorias and images of a demonic looking wrapped up nun, an enticing Playboy bunny version of Gloria, the other Glorias too… They all watch as the man spins into the air trapped in a tornado out of the Wizard of Oz, complete with a witch on a broom… If that isn’t trippy enough… What about the cover of Ms. Magazine’s first issue’s Hindu Kali God coming to life in full animation or a younger Gloria suddenly having a man throw knives at her in a circus type atmosphere. These are just a few of the wild asides this film takes you on. It certainly keeps you awake.

It is a fragmented watch for sure. It is as if Gloria wrote about her life on sheets of loose leaf paper, threw it in to the air and someone just showed whichever piece of her life they picked up first, second and so on. Sometimes, it goes back and forth at a good pace; other times you wonder if it will ever return to another Gloria.

But although the format seems a bit unorthodox, it does not mean there are not some gems in there. The story of Gloria at every age is intriguing from her mentally ill neurotic mother to her doting dad, who struggles in his career, to her fellowship to India, to having an abortion, to her start in the women’s movement and beyond. Interestingly, this film’s venture into the women’s movement and fight for the ERA parallels the story told in “Ms. America”, a limited series on Hulu, except that story is told from Phyllis Schlafly’s POV, who was against the ERA and many things Steinem was for.

There are certainly plenty of high end actors in this film to watch, including Julianna Moore as the more mature of the Glorias. She fits the character to a tee and Alicia Vikander, who plays a younger version, works hard to try on the character. The other two Glorias are played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong and Lulu Wilson. Bette Midler plays US Representative and headstrong and sassy activist Bella Abzug. Timothy Hutton is great as the dad. Also look for wonderful performances from the likes of Janelle Monáe as Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Lorraine Toussaint as Flo Kennedy and Monica Sanchez as Dolores Huerta, among others. The various women’s roles such as these were much better served in “Ms. America” then in this film where they are relegated to secondary roles to Steinem, much like her face on the cover of Newsweek (talked about in the film)–much to her chagrin. Then again, this movie is about her and not just about the movement.

This movie should really appeal most to women who will find the stories touching and poignant, and applicable to their own lives in one way or another, and also will serve as inspiration.

It also showcases many of the issues that have plagued women through the years and how things have changed, and not changed since then. Gloria is shown to be not taken seriously as a journalist, propositioned by a boss, harassed for not being married; called a Lesbian, a sex symbol, a feminist and other labels. It shows the stigma of abortion, its dangers and the fight for pro-choice, how women’s voices were not heard. It talks about women of all races and their issues as well. It also points out that the ERA was never passed. These are just a few of the many points covered. This film is a great conversation piece to explore these issues further, perhaps between mother and daughter.

“The Glorias” is now available on Amazon Prime. For more info., visit https://www.thegloriasmovie.com/

By Rachel Galvin

Can’t decide if you need a phone or a tablet by your side? Tired of carrying around both? Now, you can get the best of both in one with Samsung’s new Z Fold2, a foldable smartphone. It only runs $2000 and comes with perks like access to restaurants and golf clubs. This is their 2^nd attempt to make a foldable phone.

“It’s definitely a luxury device,” said Drew Blackard, Samsung’s vice president of mobile product management in the U.S.

It will be available in stores Sept. 18. For more information, visit www.samsung.com.