Irena’s Vow + Sevap/Mitzvah
Hourly Schedule
The State Theatre - Wednesday, November 1st
- 6:30PM - 6:50PM
- SEVAP/MITZVAH
- Featured Narrative Short Film
- 6:50PM - 9:11PM
- Irena's Vow
- Featured Narrative Film
Post-screening discussion with Jeannie Opdyke Smith, Irena's daughter, in conversation with Boaz Dvir, associate professor of Journalism and the director of the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative at the Bellisario College of Communications.
Irena's Vow
About The Film
Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Irena Gut Opdyke and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy. 19-year-old Irena Gut is promoted to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help twelve Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of: the basement of the German commandant’s house. Over the next two years, Irena uses her wit, humor, and courage to hide her friends until the end of the German occupation, concealing them in the midst of countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child. Her story is one of the most inspiring of our time.
SEVAP/MITZVAH
About The Film
During WWII in Nazi-occupied Bosnia a Muslim woman risks everything to save her Jewish friends. Inspired by a true story.
From Oct. 30 – Nov. 5, 2023, The Centre Film Festival will return for a weekend of the finest offerings in contemporary cinema at the State Theatre in State College and the Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg.
We are back to celebrate the magic of storytelling on the big screen and beyond. Join us in honoring multigenerational narratives and sparking meaningful conversations through art, locally and globally. With the historic Rowland Theatre and State Theatre as our backdrop, we’re getting all set to bring you more than 50 Pennsylvania Premieres, 4 United States Premieres, Made in PA films, a night of Thrills and Chills for Halloween, Sports on Screen, World Cinema, Pride on Screen, and an inaugural Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month track… and so much more.
Check back here and centrefilm.org for more information.