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| == Content == | == Content == | ||
| Filmmaker Yoav Shamir states in the beginning of the film that as an Israeli he has never experienced anti-Semitism himself and wants to learn more about it since references to anti-Semitism in all over the world are extremely common in the Israeli media. The film includes extensive interviews with ], the head of the ] and ], a critic of Israeli policy as well as many others. The film also follows a group of Israeli high school students on a class trip to Europe where they tour ], as well as a number of other notable ] locations. | Filmmaker Yoav Shamir states in the beginning of the film that as an Israeli he has never experienced anti-Semitism himself and wants to learn more about it since references to anti-Semitism in all over the world are extremely common in the Israeli media. The film includes extensive interviews with ], the head of the ] and ], a critic of Israeli policy as well as many others. The film also follows a group of Israeli high school students on a class trip to Europe where they tour ], as well as a number of other notable ] locations. | ||
| The film examines whether the problem of antisemitism is real or exaggerated. The film notes that in 2007, the ADL reported a spike in antisemitism, claiming that there were 1,500 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States yet when Shamir contacts the ADL they can only list minor incidents such as websites with inflammatory comments, letters from employees denied time off for a Jewish holiday, or people offended by a cop's use of the word "Jew". Shamir also interviews a Rabbi who says that the hypervigilance of the ADL inflames relations between Jews and blacks in the United States. He also finds that there is more sensitivity to antisemitism among secular Jews than religious ones. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-11-15/entertainment/17179337_1_anti-semitism-debate-interviews |title=Yoav Shamir draws flak for film 'Defamation' |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewcy.com/post/antisemitism_everywhere# |title=In Search of Anti-Semitism |publisher=]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120452232 |title=Exploring The Politics Of 'Defamation' |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| == Controversy == | == Controversy == | ||
Revision as of 13:30, 22 March 2010
2009 film| Defamation | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Yoav Shamir |
| Produced by | Sandra Itkoff Karoline Leth Philippa Kowarsky Knut Ogris |
| Distributed by | First Run Features |
| Release date | November 20, 2009(U.S.) |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Languages | English, Hebrew |
Defamation (Hashmatsa) is a 2009 documentary film by award-winning filmmaker Yoav Shamir. The film examines anti-Semitism, and in particular the way perceptions of anti-Semitism affect Israeli and U.S. politics. The film won Best Documentary Feature Film at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Content
Filmmaker Yoav Shamir states in the beginning of the film that as an Israeli he has never experienced anti-Semitism himself and wants to learn more about it since references to anti-Semitism in all over the world are extremely common in the Israeli media. The film includes extensive interviews with Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League and Norman Finkelstein, a critic of Israeli policy as well as many others. The film also follows a group of Israeli high school students on a class trip to Europe where they tour Auschwitz, as well as a number of other notable Holocaust locations.
The film examines whether the problem of antisemitism is real or exaggerated. The film notes that in 2007, the ADL reported a spike in antisemitism, claiming that there were 1,500 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States yet when Shamir contacts the ADL they can only list minor incidents such as websites with inflammatory comments, letters from employees denied time off for a Jewish holiday, or people offended by a cop's use of the word "Jew". Shamir also interviews a Rabbi who says that the hypervigilance of the ADL inflames relations between Jews and blacks in the United States. He also finds that there is more sensitivity to antisemitism among secular Jews than religious ones.
Controversy
After the film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Anti-Defamation League issued a statement denouncing the film, stating that it "belittles the issue (of anti-Semitism) ... and cheapens the Holocaust. It is Shamir's perverse, personal, political perspective and a missed opportunity to document a serious and important issue."
References
- "Yoav Shamir draws flak for film 'Defamation'". SFGate.
- "In Search of Anti-Semitism". Jewcy.
- "Exploring The Politics Of 'Defamation'". National Public Radio.
External links
- Official website
- First Run Features' Defamation page
- Defamation at IMDb