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Indybay Feature

Urgent!: Zionist Censorship Attempts at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival‏

Date:
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Time:
1:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Event Type:
Protest
Organizer/Author:
Location Details:
Castro Theater in San Francisco

The SF Jewish Film Festival is coming up.

There is a film about Rachel Corrie playing and her mother, Cindy Corrie, who has been very active since her daughter’s death, is coming up to speak. Several Zionist organizations have given the film festival a lot of flack for the screening and are planning to demonstrate and try to shut down the event. The level of disrespect to Rachel’s mother and memory is profound but not surprising.

People and groups are mobilizing to have a presence there to oppose the Zionists who are trying to shut this movie down and Cindy’s Corrie from speaking. We hope everyone can turn up to the movie thisSaturday, July 25 and Tuesday, August 4 (see below).

The latest news is that the Festival has invited a speaker from SF Voice for Israel to speak before the film.

The film festival issued the following statement to defend itself:

http://fest.sfjff.org/sites/default/files/docs/SFJFF_statement_on_RACHEL.pdf.

Saturday, July 25 at 1:30pm at the Castro Theater in San Francisco

Tuesday, August 4 at 6:30pm at the Roda Theater in Berkeley.

Lets turn out in mass to show our outrage at this latest Zionist attempt at censorship!
Added to the calendar on Thu, Jul 23, 2009 4:17PM
§SFJFF statement on RACHEL
by repost

Why San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is showing Rachel, a film by Simone Bitton about Rachel Corrie, and inviting Cindy Corrie, Rachel Corrie’s mother, to the Festival:

1. The film Rachel is directed by veteran filmmaker Simone Bitton, a dual citizen of Israel and France. The documentary takes an unflinching look at the controversy surrounding the death of an American activist who was protesting Israeli military actions in Gaza. In the film, Bitton, through interviews with eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers and spokespeople, and others close to the tragedy, exposes new information about the incident which we believe makes for very worthwhile viewing, from both a journalistic and an aesthetic perspective. The film has already played in such prestigious festivals as the Berlin International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival (New York).

2. The film Rachel includes the viewpoints of people with a variety of opinions on the events which led to Ms. Corrie’s death. It includes interviews with Israeli army spokeswoman Avital Leibovitch, as well as doctors, activists, soldiers, Israeli and Palestinian civilians, and Rachel Corrie’s parents. The film also includes military video from the Israeli army.

3. As with all the films we show at SFJFF, we are presenting the views of the filmmakers and their subjects in what we hope is an atmosphere that encourages free expression and public debate. We regret that the filmmaker of Rachel could not be present to discuss the film personally, although we invited her to be here. Cindy Corrie, Rachel Corrie’s mother, is a subject of the documentary, and it is customary (and even expected by audiences) for documentary subjects to participate in Festival screenings. This kind of exchange has occurred throughout our Festival’s long history, and Cindy Corrie herself has addressed audiences at the Tribeca Film Festival, presentations in New York theaters, and other cultural forums. We wish to provide our audiences with the same opportunity. Her appearance at SFJFF is not intended to provide a political platform but rather to deepen the dialogue around the film. Cindy Corrie has publicly advocated for ensuring “justice, freedom, security and economic viability for both Israelis and Palestinians.” We think it will be an illuminating conversation.

4. We are presenting the film as part of a wider series on social justice and activism, and want our audience to have the benefit of a direct encounter with those who can help them understand Rachel Corrie’s motivations ‐ even if they don’t agree with them ‐ from a very personal standpoint. The filmmaker considers herself a film essayist rather than a reporter and desires the film to be viewed as an artistic statement as well as an investigation.

5. SFJFF’s commitment to Israeli filmmakers and cinema is steadfast. We are proud that this year we are showcasing 37 individual films from or connected to Israel – comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and shorts – which together form a very vibrant portrait of the country and its complexity. Other political affairs documentaries besides Rachel include Gilad Shalit: 2 Years in Captivity, a portrait of Gilad Shalit, the soldier captured by Hamas; and Chronicle of a Kidnap, a portrait of Karnit Goldwasser, the widow of Ehud Goldwasser, an Israeli soldier who was one of many victims of the Lebanon war.

6. The SFJFF supports the democratic exchange of ideas that great filmmaking provides. We believe that the best artists, including documentary filmmakers, create work that makes us think and sparks a dialogue both within the Jewish community and the greater community of the Bay Area. We do not expect that the views of every film or speaker will be embraced by all of our audiences, nor can every film represent the diverse views of SFJFF staff, board, members or sponsors. We unanimously embrace the tradition of spirited debate that is a core element of Jewish inquiry, and strive to provide a welcoming forum for the discussion of different perspectives.

Comments (Hide Comments)
Just as we ran the bookburners out of our communities in the Bay Area and across the US in the 1950s who seemed to see a communist everywhere, although that might be a good thing, we will put an end to the Zionist-Nazi USA censors (both entities staunchly anti-communist) at our beloved Jewish Film Festival, which some of us have been attending since its inception, which seems like just yesterday, although it was in 1980. In any event, we can and will pack the theater and we all know our First Amendment rights. The Zionists make us all ashamed to be of Jewish ancestry as their heinous crimes are well documented in Palestine for at least 61 years, including but not limited to the murder of Rachel Corrie. We are going to act cooly, calmly, with determination and unity. And we are going to give the movie and Cindy Corrie, mother of Rachel, a standing ovation.
by Ken Morgan
My understanding is that the film organizers are going to allow a representative from those trying to prevent the showing of the film "Rachel" speak before the film is shown. If those of you in attendence, in exercising your right of free speech make so much noise that this lieing ass hole is drowned out, so be it. How ironic that those trying to prevent the showing of this important film will claim that their free speech was violated, while at the same time they were trying to shut down this film and violating the free speech of the film makers, audience and film festival organizers. Yes be polite to the demonstraters, but if they try to block your entry into the theatre, and you aren't a pacifist, you know what to do.










by =
It is best to carry out positive actions, such as a standing ovation for the film and Cindy Corrie. This Zionists have nothing to say; we will just hear stupid psychobabble, and if we have a packed house, the Zionist might cancel his/her appearance as the biggest bully is the biggest coward. RIDICULE & LAUGHTER are far more effective than anger. If the psychobabble gets too ridiculous, LAUGH LOUDLY. After all, you do not get angry at a child who has a fit; you either try to calm the child down or just laugh. Let us remember these are very educated people claiming to believe in superstition and that some far away land is their biblical right! This is a sign of serious mental illness! As to possible demonstrators outside, that is not likely for at least 2 reasons: (1) The Castro is in the gay community and the Democratic Party needs the votes of the gay community so they cannot have a scene in the heart of the Castro; and (2) the Zionists & US imperialism are busy promoting war against Iran by "saving dissidents" at the Civic Center today in a staged rally, claiming that the superstitious idiots in office in Iran are somehow worse than the superstitious idiots in power in Israel, etc, all so US oil and war profiteers can make themselves richer as the name of the game is always money. If the Zionists are stupid enough to make a mess outside or inside the theater, they will finally have consigned their reactionary cause to the dustbin of history, long overdue. Remember, THIS IS OUR FILM FESTIVAL, and they are the disrupters and censors so all we have to do is keep the anger down and take the high road with laughter! History is with us; we shall win!
by K.
Well, if the film does show.......if...........then there will be many there to shrilly decry it. The right-wing Jewish blogs are calling on people (of that ilk) to be there in force. For them, Corrie is a monster, and the cause she worked for is "terrorism".

If you feel otherwise, it's important to be there.

Important that other voices (sane voices?) be heard & seen.
by confused in LA
Why do they bother calling this a Jewish Film Festival when the movie in question is about a country not a religion? Why not stick to the plan and show Jewish themed movies in this festival. Silly place to show this movie. Makes as much sense as showing it at a Brazilian Film Festival. Seems like everyone has an agenda these days. Nice agenda for Rachel but probably the wrong platform.
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