Midwest Film Preview of Restored Tell Me a Riddle

Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Directed by Lee Grant, 1980, 90 minutes

Presented in partnership with Women in Film Cincinnati and Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival, featuring a post-film conversation with producer Rachel Lyon

Free. Reservations not required. Seating is first come, first served. Please enter through the DeWitt entrance.

Restored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2022, and presented here for the first time outside of the Academy, Tell Me a Riddle (1980) was the major motion picture directorial debut for Academy Award winner, Lee Grant. Based on Tillie Olsen’s O. Henry Prize winning novella of the same name, the film celebrates life and love’s miraculous power of renewal.

Eva and David are Russian-Jewish immigrants who experience the most intense conflict of their marriage right at the end of their lives. Eva becomes ill, and David decides they should keep it a secret. While they travel the country to visit the homes of their children and granddaughter, Eva remembers both the violence of pre-revolutionary Russia and the stresses of married life with David, when she was without a moment to herself to read or shine.

Jaime Meyers Schlenck, President of Women in Film Cincinnati, and the film’s producer, Rachel Lyon, will engage in a post-film conversation about the remarkable restoration, working closely with Lee Grant over decades, and the many firsts for women that this film launched.

About the speakers

Rachel Lyon has produced 65 documentaries, feature films and media projects. She serves as Director of Development and Communication at First Step Home in Cincinnati. Previously, Lyon served as the Director of Special Projects at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Additionally, Lyon has raised significant funding dollars for educational, media, cultural and social welfare programs. Lyon has served at several universities, including NKU, SMU, and the City College of New York.

Jaime Meyers Schlenck has been editing award-winning nonfiction films for two decades. Her most recent film, 9TO5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT, debuted on PBS’ Independent Lens and was nominated for a Peabody Award. She edited A LION IN THE HOUSE (Sundance premiere, Primetime Emmy Award winner), TV series including HBO FIRST LOOK, and 60+ studio release behind-the-scenes documentaries such as SEX AND THE CITY and HAIRSPRAY. She was additional editor on AMERICAN FACTORY美国工厂 (Academy Award winner) and DAVE CHAPPELLE’S LIVE IN REAL LIFE. Jaime Meyers Schlenck is a founding member and president of Women in Film Cincinnati.

If you need accessibility accommodations for this event, please email [email protected]. Please contact us at least two weeks in advance to ensure accommodations can be made.