Red Father

Testaments

\” I loved this film! Bernard Ades was such a contradictory character. Tova Beck-Friedman sculpted him with so many human nuances and showed how his ideology sometimes evoked compassion, but also overtook his humanity at other times. I loved the dramatic overlays and moving music. Great job!\” Gayl Teller, Nassau County Poet Laureate (2009-11).

\”This well-done documentary will be of particular interest to those who want to better understand the history of the Communist Party of the United States and international Communism, as well as to those interested in American Jewry. As a teacher of college courses in American History, I would certainly use it in my upper division classes\”. Red Father Seen Through the Eyes of His Daughter, Dan La Botz, New Politics

\”….. a fascinating, complex story, that inspires deep thinking, and presents valuable historical knowledge in a unique way.\”    Cynthia Close,
Contributing Editor DOCUMENTARY Magazine

\”Tova Beck-Friedman\’s remarkable film, RED FATHER, offers a nuanced and haunting look into the intellectual and emotional burdens within a prominent family of the American left.\”    Janet Coleman, WBAI Radio

“…. a superb rendition of an individual story that illustrates a particular and important moment in American history.\”     Martin Novemski, Professor Emeritus, Theater Studies, Fairleigh Dickinson University

\”We are interested in showing the film and using it for education purposes in the bar association as well as the law schools here in the twin cities. It is of particular interest to us that it was the first case in Maryland to empanel African-American jurors and that Mr. Ades stopped the lynching of an African American defendant who was accused of murdering a Caucasian family.\”     MABL, Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers.

\”Red Father offers a powerful portrait of the Baltimore lawyer Bernard Ades, whose life mirrored the shifting political fortunes and cultural meanings of American Communism from the pre-World War II through the Cold War eras. Tova Beck-Friedman’s deftly constructed montages and Janet Ades’ by turns affectionate and critical recollections about her father together allow us to appreciate Ades’ unique mix of heroism, legal acumen and ideological stubbornness. A must-see for all students of American political history and Jewish identity.\”     Prof. Casey Haskins, Philosophy and Film Studies, Purchase College, SUNY

\”Eloquent, subtle, beautifully orchestrated. I have gained so much understanding. Thank you!!!\”, Cathrine Rogers, Author, Our Changing Journey to the End.