Israeli director Yoav Shamir (Checkpoint, 5 Days, Flipping Out) admits that he has never personally experienced anti-Semitism, but he knows that it exists beyond the borders of the Jewish state. In his irreverent quest to pin down the modern manifestations of the “oldest hatred,” Shamir follows American Jewish leaders to the capitals of Europe, as they warn government officials of the growing threat of anti-Semitism. He also attaches himself to a class of Israeli high school students on a pilgrimage to Auschwitz.
Shamir interviews controversial historian, Norman Finkelstein, who offers his unpopular views on the manner that anti-Semitism is being used by the Jewish community and especially Israel for political gain. The director also includes snippets of a lecture in Israel by Stephen M. Walt and John J. Mearsheimer, following the release of their book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.
As part of its “Best of the Fest” screenings, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival will show Defamation 5 p.m. Saturday, May 2 and 3 p.m. May 3 at the Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street S.E., Minneapolis (near the intersection of Oak Street and Washington Avenue S.E., in the Stadium Village area of the East Bank).
