Defamation (2009)

Intent on shaking up the ultimate 'sacred cow' for Jews, Israeli director Yoav Shamir embarks on a provocative - and at times irreverent - quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?"

Director:

Yoav Shamir

Writer:

Yoav Shamir

Stars:

Yoav Shamir, Abraham Foxman, Bob Wolfson

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yoav Shamir	...	Himself, also narrator and interviewer
Abraham Foxman	...	Himself
Bob Wolfson	...	Himself - ADL Regional Director
Notav	...	Herself
Adi	...	Herself
Yaiv	...	Himself
Reuven	...	Himself
Perlin	...	Herself
Ov	...	Himself
Noah Klinger	...	Himself - Journalist
Joel Levi	...	Himself - ADL Regional Director New York
Dov Hikind	...	Himself - Assemblyman
Benjamin Lifschitz	...	Himself - Reporter
Abraham Hecht	...	Himself (as Rabbi Hecht)
Gianfranco Fini	...	Himself

Storyline

Intent on shaking up the ultimate 'sacred cow' for Jews, Israeli director Yoav Shamir embarks on a provocative - and at times irreverent - quest to answer the question, "What is anti-Semitism today?" Does it remain a dangerous and immediate threat? Or is it a scare tactic used by right-wing Zionists to discredit their critics? Speaking with an array of people from across the political spectrum (including the head of the Anti-Defamation League and its fiercest critic, author Norman Finkelstein) and traveling to places like Auschwitz (alongside Israeli school kids) and Brooklyn (to explore reports of violence against Jews), Shamir discovers the realities of anti-Semitism today. His findings are shocking, enlightening and - surprisingly - often wryly funny.

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Plot Keywords:

jew | israeli | anti semitism | author | auschwitz | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Israel Denmark USA Austria

Language:

Hebrew English

Release Date:

2009 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Defamation

Filming Locations:

Jerusalem, Israel

Box Office

Budget:

€1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,725, 20 November 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$11,410, 13 December 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

CINEPHIL,Knut Ogris Films,Reveal Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Norman Finkelstein: I wanna ask you a question. Do you see a holocaust coming? It's crazy. There is so much hunger, so much starvation in the world, so many people are suffering. And you want me to get excited about some idiot painting a swastika somewhere?

User Reviews

Very Objective

The persuasive power of most documentaries lies in their one-sidedness. This is not like most documentaries.

The filmmaker has a point of view, but he does not jam it down your throat. He humanizes the people he disagrees with, while exposing the flaws of those he does agree with. He presents the issue of perceived anti-semitism in all it's complexity but still draws the viewer to a real conclusion.

I thought the narration was a bit distracting because the filmer has a strong Israeli accent. Also, it was difficult to understand a few of the exchanges between he and his interviewees.

Still, it was fine work.