HIFF Screens 'The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg' at East Hampton Library

The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is continuing its 25 Years: 25 Films series this Saturday, May 13, with 1998 selection The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg at East Hampton Library.

More than 10 years in the making, Aviva Kempner directed this lively and nostalgic documentary about baseball legend Hank Greenberg.

Sixty years ago, as Hitler invaded Europe, Hank Greenberg, the strapping Detroit Tigers first baseman, challenged Babe Ruth’s record by by hitting 58 home runs in a season. “I came to feel that if I, as a Jew, hit a home run, I was hitting against Hitler,” wrote Greenberg, who succeeded despite being the focus of intense anti-Semitism throughout his career.

Greenberg was a hero and role model to many, and Kempner’s comprehensively researched film combines rare archival footage with interviews of family members and fans including Walter Matthau, Alan Dershowitz, Bob Feller, Ralph Kiner, and Ira Berkow.

The Hamptons International Film Festival started the 25 Years: 25 Films screenings to celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary. HIFF films from 1993 to 2016 are being shown almost weekly, since February, in venues across the Hamptons, as well as some outside New York. The series concludes with the 25th Annual Hamptons Film Film Festival taking place over Columbus Day weekend, October 5–9.

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, at 2 p.m. at East Hampton Library (159 Main Street). Admission is free.

Check out the trailer below.

To learn more about the 25 Years: 25 Films Screening Series, visit the HIFF website here.