Impact of Hollywood on Holocaust understanding

to be reviewed by SJCF panel on August 9

SARATOGA SPRINGS– The Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival (SJCF) has slated a Zoom panel discussion of the film “Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust,” a 2004 documentary on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m.

The film, directed by Daniel Anker and narrated by Gene Hackman, examines the treatment of the Holocaust in Hollywood films over a period of 60 years and the impact of the films on public perception and thinking and vice versa.

Organizers suggest viewing the film on YouTube (https://youtu.be/YL418VqGQ1Q?si=9H1U3FqwVPT51GIr) prior to the discussion.

“Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust,” includes scenes from more than 40 films and newsreels, as well as interviews with scholars, filmmakers, and Holocaust witnesses. It shows how films portrayed Holocaust events, reflected public sentiment, or helped to shape it.

The American film industry took it upon itself to act as a cheerleader for U.S. and Allied military interests during World War II, but Hollywood was initially reluctant to directly condemn anti-Semitism. “The first, and for decades the only film to address anti-Semitism directly was Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” in 1940,” said Phyllis Wang, coordinator of SJCF.

She added, “at the core of “Imaginary Witness” is an ethical and moral debate about portrayal. Is it even possible to imagine on screen the unimaginable? Should the movie industry even undertake such endeavors? The film asks hard questions about the uneasy relationship between American popular culture and the Holocaust, about the responsibility of filmmakers for their portrayal of history, and about the power of film to affect the way we look at ourselves.”

The film was originally produced for the cable network American Movie Classics (AMC). Director Daniel Anker’s father was a refugee from Germany, and many of his relatives, including his great-grandfather, uncle, and cousin were murdered in the Holocaust. However, he had not considered making a film on the subject until AMC approached him with the idea.

Pre-registration for the discussion is required. It may be obtained by entering the URL in a browser:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/VnUZBi4/HollywoodandtheHolocaust