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| A film about the death of American activist Rachel Corrie is causing a stir at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, which began Thursday. Photo courtesy the Rachel Corrie Foundation. |
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival opened its 29th season Thursday night amid controversy surrounding one of its 71 films, which has the Jewish community up in arms.
Simone Bitton’s film “Rachel” is a documentary about the controversial death of 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie in 2003. Corrie was volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank when an Israeli army bulldozer crushed her during the demolition of Palestinian homes.
What kindled the criticism from the Jewish community was the invitation of Corrie’s mother, Cindy Corrie, to speak after the Saturday afternoon screening at the Castro Theatre.
Israel’s Consul General Akiva Tor weighed in via e-mail that the Jewish Film Festival "made a serious error in judgment in inviting Mrs. Corrie to the festival.” Tor called Cindy Corrie a “propagandist.”
In response, festival board member Doug Okun wrote in a letter to film festival followers, “the intent was not to provide a political platform, but rather to have her respond to questions in open dialogue with the audience in order to deepen our understanding of the film.”
This is not the first time that Corrie’s mother has been present at a screening. Both she and Corrie’s father, Craig, were present at the film’s U.S. debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April.
New York, with a larger Jewish community, didn’t react as strongly. In a similar question-and-answer session at the Tribeca Film Festival, “the presence of Corrie’s parents no doubt stimulated the goodwill emanating from the audience,” the organizers said in a statement.
Festival issues apology
Peter Stein, the San Francisco festival’s executive director, issued a formal apology “for not fully considering how upsetting this program might be.” He said Michael Harris, founder of the grassroots advocacy group SF Voice for Israel, would appear at the "Rachel" screening. Thursday’s editorial from J., a Bay Area weekly for Northern California, calls for an end to the bitterness and a show of support from the Jewish community.
“Threats to boycott the festival ultimately only hurt the Jewish community itself,” the editorial said. “The S.F. Jewish Film Festival remains a vital and important institution, and deserves continued support.”
Festival board president Shana Penn resigned Monday, citing “healthy differences on how to approach sensitive issues.” Penn will continue to serve on the board, although she had five months remaining in her two-year term as board president.
The film will have its Israeli debut at the Haifa International Film Festival in October, and has been screened at several international festivals, including Paris, Berlin and Buenos Aires.
San Francisco’s festival, the largest of its kind in the world, runs from July 23 to Aug. 10 and screens at five venues around the Bay Area. “Rachel” screens at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Castro Theatre. A second screening is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Roda Theatre.
For more information, call the festival at 415-621-0556 or go to www.sfjff.org.
