Blind Spot (2024 film)
| Blind Spot | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Poster | |
| Directed by | Seth Kramer, Jeremy Newberger, Daniel A. Miller |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Leonard Gold |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Production company | Ironbound Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | Jewish Broadcasting Service and StandWithUs |
| Release | March 30, 2025 |
Blind Spot is a 2024 American documentary film about campus antisemitism in the United States, prior to and following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.
Synopsis
[edit]In the film, over two dozen US college students describe the rise of antisemitism on their campuses.[1] Prominently featured are CUNY, Tulane, George Washington University, Columbia, the University of Vermont and the University of California, Berkeley.[2] Jewish leaders from campus and community organizations are interviewed, as are Representatives Ritchie Torres[2] and Josh Gottheimer, and authors Dara Horn and Noa Tishby.
Production
[edit]Executive producer Leonard Gold was first inspired to make the film 15 years earlier when he observed antisemitism as the father of a private school student in Manhattan. [2] When antisemitism escalated on college campuses before and after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, Gold perceived a "serious modern-day American civil rights problem".[2]
The soundtrack includes music from Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Dr, Seuss, Israeli artists Eden Golan and Yuval Salomon, Israeli cantors Naftali Hershtik and his son Netanel Hershtik, pianist Lee Musiker, and clarinetist Nat Gold.
Critical reception
[edit]The film premiered in 2024 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York[2] and has been shown at the Boca International Jewish Film Festival, other film festivals JCC's, schools, synagogues, movie theaters and museums.
Fern Sidman called the film "an indictment, an inspiration, and above all, a mirror held up to a society". She noted the film's focus on social pressures on Jewish students to renounce their connection to Israel, calling this "a modern form of antisemitism cloaked in the language of social justice".[3] Douglas Altabef called the film "a fire alarm ringing and a profile of many of the firefighters trying to deal with the flames".[4] The Jerusalem Post called the film "yet another red alert about Jew-hatred in America", noting that it began with events in 2022, in contrast to other documentaries on the topic, which were made after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.[5]
The Algemeiner said that Blind Spot "draws attention to [the students'] bravery and courage in standing up against antisemitism, [but also] highlights the heartbreaking experiences these Jewish students endured,... [despite which they] are not portrayed as victims but as the heroes in their own stories."[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Gilson, Grace (2025-04-05). "Five new documentaries shed light on the post-October 7 American experience". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2025-04-06. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ a b c d e Russo-Lennon, Barbara (2024-10-18). "New Film Examines Antisemitism at NYC Colleges in 2024". amNewYork. Archived from the original on 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ Sidman, Fern (2025-03-27). "'Blind Spot' documentary on campus antisemitism premieres on JBS". JNS.org. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ Altabef, Douglas (2024-11-27). "The many faces of Jewish courage". JNS.org. Archived from the original on 2024-12-09. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ Cashman, Greer Fay (2024-11-20). "Grapevine: Nov. 19, 2024: Swiss cheese politics". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ Algemeiner, The (2025-05-09). "Campus Antisemitism Documentary Seeks to Show Jewish Students as 'Inspirational' Heroes, Not Merely Victims - Algemeiner.com Documentary About Campus Antisemitism From Perspective of Jewish Students Shows Them as 'Inspirational' Heroes, Not Merely Victims". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
External links
[edit]- American documentary films
- Zionism in the United States
- Documentary films about education
- Documentary films about education in the United States
- 2024 documentary films
- 2024 films
- Documentary films about Jews and Judaism in the United States
- Documentary films about Jews and Judaism
- Opposition to antisemitism in the United States
- Documentary films about antisemitism