Shorts: The Arts

S.F. library to screen short films

Sam Ball, the former director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, is presenting an evening of two films followed by a question-and-answer session at the San Francisco Public Library.

The films share the theme of eccentric idealism in American design and architecture.

"Throwing Curves" profiles design innovator Eva Zeisel, who escaped Hitler and Stalin before changing the face of American mass-market industrial design.

In "Pleasures Of Urban Decay" cartoonist Ben Katchor narrates a Yiddish-inflected tour of New York's architecture and environment.

The event takes place 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the San Francisco Public Library's Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St.




Klezmer goes wet and wild

Klezmer is coming to the Bay Area in the next few weeks — on land and sea.

KlezCalifornia, a festival of klezmer and Yiddish art will take place in Berkeley on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 and 18. The celebration will begin with a concert by Veretski Pass at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley.

From 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, lectures and participatory concerts will follow at the BRJCC.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, klezmer will go aquatic with the Klezmer on the Bay dinner cruise. Local band Klez-X will perform while guests will dine on a vegetarian buffet of Jewish cuisine.

For more information, contact Rachel Biale at (415) 444-8060 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).