Local Cinema Screens Israeli Documentary: An Act of Courage

In some ways October 7 feels like ancient history and in other ways, it’s yesterday. Israel has changed and so has the Diaspora in its aftermath.  And we are both still in transition. Israel remains at war in Gaza, with a new offensive planned entailing daily call ups and disruptions to normal life.  Here in the U.S., we are in the midst of an ongoing tsunami of antisemitism disguised as anti-Israel bias.

Beyond the headlines about campus antisemitism at Harvard, Columbia and other elite institutions of higher learning, Jew hatred and Israel bashing also occurs in less visible ways in the world of arts and culture.  Jewish writers are being ghosted and shunned and even local bookstores are displaying outsized support for the Palestinian narrative resulting in one-sided book selections for sale regarding the conflict.

So, it comes as no surprise when this winter our local movie theater, the West Newton Cinema (in a suburb of Boston), screened the Palestinian film “From Ground Zero” which artfully portrayed the suffering of Gazan civilians with no regard at all to the historic context in which the war is being waged.  Such a one-sided portrayal in my opinion amounted to propaganda. Since October 7, there had been no screenings of Israeli films offering up an alternative view at the theater.  (See my previous article)

In an effort to encourage the theater to broaden the public’s understanding, my friend and fellow activist Debbie DeBotton and I approached the cinema with the proposal to screen “We Will Dance Again,” a film that presents historical context to the Hamas war.  This 2024 documentary, directed by Israeli filmmaker Yariv Mozer, reconstructs the assault on the Nova Music Festival where 378 people were brutally slaughtered and 44 taken hostage, which was portrayed through phone videos, interviews with festival attendees, and footage from Hamas body cams. Some might say that such a film represents “the Israeli perspective, “although this term in and of itself is problematic, as it suggests there are two ways of looking at October 7.  But it’s still a helpful construct when approaching a community theater that is endeavoring to provide “balance.”  Indeed, when the film’s director was asked whether the documentary was political, he replied that the film is “told from the eyes of the survivors and from the eyes of Hamas.  There is one truth about what happened.”

After many hours of constructive discussion and negotiation with representatives of the cinema, they arrived at a plan to screen “We Will Dance Again “to the public twice over a recent weekend.  The film played to almost sell-out audiences, thus showing the high level of interest in a film about October 7 despite the passage of time.  Yes, most of the audience seemed to be older folks who already understood the gravity of that day’s atrocities, though there were definitely a handful of non-Jews and younger people who attended and were profoundly moved as well.

Does a screening like this in a local movie theater matter?  The fact that the cinema had the courage to screen this powerful Israeli film in the current anti-Israel environment was a symbolic victory in and of itself.  I also trust it leads to a heightened awareness among viewers for whom October 7 is becoming a dim memory. Several of the victims of the Nova Festival are still being held in captivity as we speak, so reminding audiences of their ongoing suffering will hopefully lead to meaningful action on the part of film viewers. I also hope this screening results in grass roots efforts to encourage others to approach their local theaters to screen this documentary and other Israeli films.  “We Will Dance Again” is still available for viewing on the streaming service Paramount +, and should be viewed by everyone who cares about human rights.

For the most part, it’s still relatively easy to live life in the Diaspora as if none of this ever happened, despite the rampant antisemitism. But is that ok?  It’s crucial that American Jews continue to advocate for the return of the hostages and take action against anti-Israel bias locally.  Every small step makes a difference. And continuing to demonstrate solidarity with our Israeli brothers and sisters still matters a lot to them and strengthens our own Jewish community as well.

Will we actually dance again?  Of course!  Both here and in Israel the dancing has already begun.  We are the Jewish people after all.  We are resilient and we have no choice but to maintain optimism toward the future.  Victimhood is not our thing.  As is the custom at Jewish weddings, let us continue to celebrate life while shattering that glass so we never forget the catastrophes and pain that for now is still ongoing. And do not be afraid to reach out to potential allies who operate movie theaters to shift their behavior with modest acts of courage and humanity. Sharing the pain and perspective of the Jewish community with cultural representatives in the community is an invaluable exercise in deepening their understanding.