“Who Are the Marcuses?” at the Figge Art Museum -- March 3.
Sunday, March 3, 3 p.m.
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by the Alliance of Women Journalists as a "must-see" that is "fascinating and eye-opening," director Matthew Mishory's Who Are the Marcuses? enjoys a March 3 screening at Davenport's Figge Art Museum as the sixth and final presentation in River Action's 2024 QC Environmental Film Series, this special showing hosted by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities described by the Jewish Journal as "a story about wealth, generosity, innovation, and Israeli pragmatism."
With Film Threat calling the work a “great documentary," Who Are the Marcuses? uncovers a mysterious couple whose astounding financial gift inspires peace and climate action through the water-tech industry. The documentary looks at the lives of Holocaust survivors Lottie and Howard Marcus, an unassuming couple from Great Neck, New York, who make a surprising donation of $500 million to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the academic Israeli institution furthers water-technology research. Featuring interviews with participants including Warren Buffett, Ellen Marcus, Pres. Isaac Herzog, Seth M. Siegel, E. Randol Schoenberg, Daniel Gordis, and Micah Goodman, and boasting an original score by David Broza, We Are the Marcuses? will find its Figge presentation followed by words from reflection speakers Ellen Marcus, daughter of Lottie and Howard, and Marc Bennett, the film's executive producer.
Named a “rising talent” by Variety magazine, Who Are the Marcuses? filmmaker Matthew Mishory is acclaimed for his exquisite visual style and expansive narrative language. He most recently filmed the hybrid narrative-doc feature Fioretta in Prague, Vienna, and Venice, and Mishory's 2018 television film No Place of Exile premiered on the Arte network. As a commercial director, Mih=shory shot the “Powerful Performance” campaign for TCL, starring back-to-back NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was featured on the 2019 Super Bowl broadcast, while in 2021, he teamed up again with Antetokounmpo for the “Enjoy More” campaign. Mishory has also directed (in Los Cabos, Mexico) a surf campaign with pro surfer Tia Blanco as well as spots for Turkish Airlines, Pfizer, and Icelandic Glacial. Other notable credits include the 2015 documentary Absent and Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean.
Who Are the Marcuses” will be shown in the Figge Art Museum's John Deere Auditorium on March 3, admission to the 3 p.m. screening is $7 with students admitted free, and more information on the 2024 QC Environmental Film Series is available by calling (563)322-2926 and visiting RiverAction.org/filmseries.
