Jewish Film Festival at Oak Street Cinema

BY ED FELIEN

“Being Jewish in France” is completely fascinating, almost hypnotic. A Ken Burns-ey type documentary, it uses archival footage and original music from
the periods to show a hundred years of Jewish life in France.

The film begins with The Dreyfus Affair. Alfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer. In 1894 he was accused of selling military secrets to the Germans largely on the basis of falsified documents and rampant anti-Semitism in the upper ranks of the military. There were procedural errors when a secret dossier was presented to the military judges but not shown to the defense. The trial and conviction tore France apart. Emile Zola wrote an essay, “J’accuse!” that condemned the unjust verdict and accused the French court of anti-Semitism. Zola was then prosecuted and convicted of libel. He had to flee France and returned to Paris only after the Dreyfus conviction was to be reviewed. It was not until 1906 that Dreyfus’ conviction was annulled, and he was formally reinstated as a major in the army.
Although it is not clear how the Affair got started, one convincing theory is that one of the top generals who had extensive war industry contacts wanted to scapegoat Dreyfus and the Jews for the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War.

At the end of the nineteenth century anti-Semitism was quite open and an accepted part of right-wing propaganda. With the ascendancy of the left, the recognition of the importance of intellectuals, and the generally tolerant attitude of Parisians to cultural diversity, European Jews quickly became assimilated into French culture and politics. In 1936 Leon Blum, a socialist and a Jew, was elected prime minister as part of the Popular Front Against Fascism. With the defeat of France by Germany in World War II, things got very bad for the Jews. The film shows how the Vichy government collaborated enthusiastically with the Germans in rounding up Jews and sending them to concentration camps in Germany.
Through the end of World War II tolerance and acceptance of the Jews was tied to the fortunes of the left. When the left was strong, Jews played an active part in French politics and culture. When the right was strong, generally, Jews were persecuted. Today, the situation is more complex. Jews everywhere, generally, have an uncritical attitude toward Israel.

This has emboldened the more reactionary elements in Israeli politics. Generally, the international left has condemned Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, and this has driven many Jews into the arms of right-wing politicians like George W. Bush. Skinheads and neo-Nazi punks are committing vandalism and hate crimes against the Parisian Jews. Both the right and the left condemn the acts, but the right encourages the actions by trading in xenophobia or fear/hatred of “the other” [whoever that might be at the moment].

“Being Jewish in France” will run 7:15 p.m Wed., Fri., Sun., Nov. 11,13,15. It’s long, three hours, but it’s worth it. Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St. SE. 612-331-3134.

Other films include: “2 or 3
Things I Know About Him,” 7:15 p.m. Fri. thru Sun., Nov. 6-8.
“Jewish Luck,” 3 p.m. Sat., Sun., Nov. 21, 22;
“His Wife’s Lover,” 7:15 p.m. Sat., Sun., Nov. 21, 22.
“Inside Hana’s Suitcase,” 7:15 p.m. Mon., Tues., Nov. 16-17; 5 p.m. Sun., Nov. 22.
“Schmatta,” 7:15 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 19.
“The Dybbuk,” 7:15 p.m. Fri., Nov. 20; 5 p.m. Sat., Nov. 21.