Films

In his continuing exploration of modern Israeli life, director Yoav Shamir (Checkpoint, 5 Days, Flipping Out) travels the world searching for modern manifestations of anti-Semitism. He follows American Jewish leaders to the capitals of Europe as they warn government officials of the growing movement, and joins a class of Israeli high school students on a pilgrimage to Auschwitz.

On his way, Shamir meets a controversial historian who believes anti-Semitism is being used by the Jewish community, and especially Israel, for political gain. He also encounters scholars who unveil the disproportional influence the Israel lobby in Washington enjoys. Shamir visits Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem, and drops by the house of his grandmother who declares that she is the “real Jew”.

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.

This film has been rated: 14A - Content advisory - Coarse Language, Mature Scenes