Saturday, November 21, 2009

Anti-Semitism? "Defamation" (trailer)

What is anti-Semitism today, two generations after the Holocaust? In his continuing exploration of modern Israeli life, director Yoav Shamir ("Checkpoints," "Flipping Out") travels the world in search of the most modern manifestations of the oldest hatred" and comes up with some startling answers.

In this irreverent quest, he follows American Jewish leaders to the capitals of Europe as they warn government officials of the growing threat of "anti-Semitism." And he tacks on to a class of Israeli high school students on a pilgrimage to Auschwitz.

Opinions often differ and tempers sometimes flare, but in "Defamation" we find that one thing is certain: only by understanding their response to anti-Semitism can we really appreciate how Jews today, and especially modern Israelis, respond to the world around them from New York to, Gaza to Tel Aviv.