Mike Wolanin | The Republic Director Robert Moniot, left, talks with actor Noah Emmerich during a break in between shooting scenes at Zaharakos for “The Ice Cream Man” movie in Columbus in March 2023.
Those leading the local YES Cinema are hoping the short, historical film “The Ice Cream Man,” much of which was filmed at Zaharakos in downtown Columbus last year and this year, can be shown soon at YES.
They originally hoped such a showing could be the film’s premiere. But the initial screening will be at the prestigious Heartland Film Festival at 7 p.m. July 25 at the sold-out 530-seat Tobias Theater at Newfields in Indianapolis, according to the official Facebook page for the movie also filmed in Michigan City and in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
“We can’t wait to share with our cast, crew, investors/donors and our wonderful Indy Shorts family/friends from all over the world this powerful film,” reads a recent post.
Diane Doup of Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center that operates YES Cinema is optimistic about the film coming here.
“We’re still hoping that it will happen,” Doup said.
The film highlights the story of the Jewish Cahn, a Netherlands World War II-era ice cream parlor owner who chose resistance in spite of certain death during the Nazi invasion. His arrest led to the February Strike of 1941 — the first anti-Nazi protest.
More than 300,000 workers in Amsterdam went on strike February 25 and 26, 1941, to protest Cahn’s arrest at his shop, and the ongoing, forced labor of Jews by the Nazi regime. A film crew of 80 people — nearly four times the size of the “Columbus” film crew in 2016 — spread between Zaharakos and an empty Fourth Street storefront serving as a costume storage area, were here during the March 2023 shoot.
A crew returned in April for more scenes.
The storied, 1900 restaurant was reimagined as Cahn’s Koco Ice Cream Parlor in 1941 Amsterdam during the filming sessions here.
Director Robert Moniot looked all over Europe, New York and Los Angeles in 2022 for a period place with a design and décor that could pass for an authentic 1940s business before using Google to search for “1900s ice cream parlor.”
Zaharakos was the first mention to pop up. He eventually reached Zaharakos owner Tony Moravec, who agreed to close the restaurant for a week of shooting and even put up $50,000 toward the movie budget.
“We became fast friends,” Moniot said, adding that they soon spent a week together here. “… Tony is absolutely the guardian angel in all of this.”
Moravec died Nov. 9, hours after Moniot had last spoken to him by phone.
