The North American premiere of "Hold On to Your Music" during the Miami Jewish Film Festival will be accompanied by a live performance by pianist Mona Golabek. (Courtesy of Miami Jewish Film Festival)
A story of music carried across generations takes center stage at the Miami Jewish Film Festival with the North American premiere of "Hold On to Your Music," a documentary adapted from pianist and author, Mona Golabek’s family history.
The film will have its continental premiere during the Miami Jewish Film Festival’s 29th edition, running Wednesday, Jan. 14 through Thursday, Jan. 29.
The screening will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 at Miami Theater Center and will be presented alongside a live performance by Grammy-nominated concert pianist Mona Golabek, founder and president of the Hold On To Your Music Foundation. The approach reflects the film festival’s growing tendency to integrate cinema with live performance in its programming.
The documentary recounts the life of Golabek’s mother, Lisa Jura, a child prodigy pianist who was forced to leave her family behind when she escaped Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1938 via the Kindertransport at age 14. This rescue mission between 1938-1940 saved nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi-controlled Europe by bringing them to the United Kingdom as refugees. The film draws heavily from Golabek’s book “The Children of Willesden Lane,” which has been performed internationally as a narrated concert for more than 20 years and documents her mother’s story.
Golabek said she feels her live performance complementing the screening will be special.
“Hold On to Your Music” makes its North American premiere during the 29th Miami Jewish Film Festival.(Courtesy of Miami Jewish Film Festival)
"I think we wanted to do something special and be a little bit different and out of the box,” Golabek said. “We thought that if we added a live component, a snippet or an excerpt from my show, it would be something very different and special to the audience. That's why we designed this to not only have the screening of the film, but to also have the live component.”
Golabek added that many people are excited about the North American premiere being accompanied by the live performance.
“Whenever you see a live performance with a live musician, as opposed to just seeing it on the screen, I think it adds a very special element to the film festival,” she said.
The film’s co-directors Josh Aronson and Adam R. Wood both shared their excitement about having Golabek perform for the screening.
“I think the live performance is a nice perk for the audience because the film features music, and Mona is a third generation of women who have become pianists, and she is a wonderful pianist,” Aronson said.
Wood said: "One of the unique parts of this film, and of working with [Mona] and becoming a friend of hers during this process, was also seeing the remarkable work that she and her foundation do.”
“It’s the life work of Mona to encourage students to not only hold on to their music but also hold on to their dreams more than anything else,” Wood added. “As you see in the film, that's what her foundation has done and continues to do. It’s going to be a real added benefit for the audience to feel that performance."
Golabek explained what she hopes audiences will feel with her live performance.
"I hope that they will walk out of the screening and the live show, and meeting me and the team and say, 'Wow, I'm going to find my story, and I'm going to find the thing that gives me the passion to get through the hard times in life and I'm going to make something of my life, go out and and inspire others,” she explained.
"Hold On to Your Music," which makes its North American premiere during the Miami Jewish Film Festival, is a documentary drawn from pianist and author Mona Golabek's family history. (Courtesy of Miami Jewish Film Festival)
Over the past decade, the Miami Jewish Film Festival has increasingly incorporated live music, theater and site-specific events into its schedule. Past editions have included concerts paired with archival films, literary discussions staged alongside screenings and performances integrated into historic venues.
Igor Shteyrenberg, the festival's executive director who has overseen its expansion over the last 13 years, sees these hybrid events as essential to the festival’s identity.
“Interdisciplinary programming is part of the soul of this festival,” Shteyrenberg said. “When we combine film with performance, music and live artistry, we’re giving audiences more than a movie—we’re giving them an experience of connection, empathy and discovery.”
Shteyrenberg continued: “These hybrid presentations deepen the emotional resonance of the films and remind us that storytelling is a living art form.”
“They are a cornerstone of why the festival has grown into the largest Jewish cultural event in the world and why our audiences return year after year seeking not just films, but moments that stay with them,” he added.
Wood said it is especially meaningful to have the North American premiere in Miami during the festival.
“I’ve had the privilege of being in Miami a few times in my life,” he said. “I have fond memories of being there. It’s a wonderful community that has a beautiful vibe.”
Aronson also noted the importance of screening the film in the city.
"Antisemitism has become so heated globally that it’s been terrifying for Jews around the world, so I think it's highly appropriate that the North American premiere is in Miami where there are so many Jews," he said. "So many Jewish people have retired there. There are communities of people there who are Jewish. Hopefully we'll have a rich Q and A and a lot of people talking about these very profound and important issues."
The film includes archival footage of wartime Vienna and London, interviews with prominent scholars and piano recordings. Aronson feels the film is timely for many reasons.
“It’s about fascism and pushing back against fascist strong men leaders, which of course Hitler was the epitome of in the 20th century,” he said. “For us, we see fascist strong men leaders all over the world today.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: The Miami Jewish Film Festival presents"Hold On To You Music: Mona Golabek" followed by a live performance by Mona Golabek.
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Miami Theater Center, 9806 NE 2nd Ave., Miami Shores
TICKETS: $16 general admission for adults, $15 for students and seniors 65 and older
INFORMATION: www.miamijewishfilmfestival.org
