Event Details
November 10, 2025
A Real Pain
Time:
7:00 pm
Location:
Details
A Real Pain
Monday, November 10, 7 P.M.
In Partnership with the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Studies at Chapman University
Introduction by Dr. Marilyn J. Harran, Director, Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education, Chapman University
Presentation by Sharon M. Grosfeld, Esq. followed by Q&A with audience
Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved Holocaust survivor grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
Named one of the top ten best films of 2024 by The American Film Institute and the National Board of Review, A Real Pain won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards. It won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for Kieran Culkin and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for Jesse Eisenberg.
Dramatic Comedy, 90 minutes
Marilyn J. Harran is professor of Religious Studies and History, holder of the Stern Chair in Holocaust Education, and the founding director of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education and the Sala and Aron Samueli Holocaust Memorial Library at Chapman University where she teaches courses on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
A nationally recognized leader in Holocaust education, Dr. Harran is a 2008 recipient of the Spirit of Anne Frank Award and a member of the board of the Association of Holocaust Organizations. She lives in Orange, California.
Sharon M. Grosfeld is an attorney, former Maryland State Senator, and past instructor at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. The daughter of a Holocaust survivor from Radom, Poland, she has worked since 2009 to restore Jewish memory and culture in Poland. As president of Friends of the Forum, she supports Polish-Jewish dialogue and education in partnership with the Forum for Dialogue, Poland's oldest nonprofit devoted to improving Polish-Jewish relations. She advocates for Christian-Jewish dialogue as a vital means to combat antisemitism.
JCC Members: $10
Public: $15