EVENT 1 | APRIL 23 · SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
In partnership with CSUN — Presented at California State University, Northridge - Armer Theatre
An Evening with Ruth Behar: Adio Kerida Screening, Q&A & Book Signing
We open the 2026 festival with one of the most beloved works in Latin-Jewish cinema.
Adio Kerida (Goodbye Dear Love) is a deeply personal documentary by acclaimed filmmaker, anthropologist, and MacArthur Fellow Ruth Behar — a search for identity and history among Sephardic Jews with roots in Cuba. Intimate interviews with Sephardic Jews in Cuba and Cuban Miami, woven together with family stories and probing footage of dilapidated Jewish cemeteries and new Judaic rituals in Cuba, create a filmic memoir that offers a uniquely poetic and humanistic anthropological vision.
Following the screening, Ruth Behar will join us in person for a moderated Q&A — a rare opportunity to hear directly from the filmmaker about the making of this intimate and celebrated work, and what it means to hold two homelands in your heart.
The evening concludes with a book signing of Behar's Across So Many Seas, her luminous memoir tracing a Sephardic Jewish family's journey from the Ottoman Empire to Cuba to the United States — a story of belonging, loss, and identity across centuries. (Books available for purchase for $10)
Co-Presented with CSUN
This event is made possible through a partnership with:
NuRoots, the young adult initiative of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles
CSUN College of Arts, Media, and Communication — Entertainment Industry Institute, bringing the story of Latin-Jewish cinema into conversation with the next generation of film industry leaders
CSUN Alumni Association, connecting the festival to a community of Angelenos who call the Valley home
CSUN Jewish Studies Program, grounding the evening in academic dialogue about history, memory, and cultural identity
Kultur Mercado, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridge-building, cultural exploration, and fostering stronger civil societies
Evening Schedule
6:30 PM — Doors Open & Open House
7:00 PM — Welcome Remarks & Screening: Adio Kerida
8:30 PM — Moderated Q&A with Ruth Behar
9:00 PM — Reception & Book Signing
9:30 PM — Close
📍 California State University, Northridge | Register to Reserve your spot