Jacky Nelson

I'm Ruth Kodish-Eskind, and we're here at the Seattle Jewish Film Festival on March 30th, 2025. Can you state your name for me, please?

Jackie Nelson.

Thanks. And do I have your consent to record this interview?

Yes, you do.

Um, so we're at the Jewish Film Festival and the Strom Community Center, and I'm wondering what your relationship is to either of these things? Either the community center or the film festival.

Well, um, when I moved to Seattle in 1985, I was told by my cousin, who used to live in Seattle, that I should join the J. And, um, I lived too far away to make the trip comfortably. But I do come for events. I most especially the film festival, but I've been to other events, um, as well concerts and performances and, um, other things like that.

Yeah. So when you first moved to Seattle, your family member recommended you join?

Yes, that's right.

Yeah. And then, but you lived too far to?

Right, and I still do.

Yeah.

It was a tough drive for me.

Yeah, totally. Um, so how do you understand the role of the film festival in the Jewish community or Jewish life?

Well, I can only speak to how it feels for me. Um, ever since I found out about the Jewish Film Festival many years ago, I always made a strong effort to attend as many films as I could, even if I had to play hooky from work, because the films are so important to me, and so many have been so wonderful, and I try to. I travel a lot, but I try to arrange my travel plans so that it doesn't interfere with the film festival.

Um, and you're on your way into Cala the Rescuer. Why did you choose to attend this movie?

Actually, I read the list of films and I picked the ones that I could attend. I can't attend at night because I don't like driving home late. So that was one of the reasons. And of course, the content of this film was important to me.

Do you want to speak on that a little more?

No [Laughs].

All right. Well that's it. Thank you so much for participating.

Okay. My pleasure.

Yeah.