Updated: February 11, 2005
MOMA has added two showings of Decryptage (listed under its English title Decoding) to the museum’s “Fortnight” film festival schedule. Decryptage (at 100 minutes, a much longer film than the others* involving Israel) will be shown on Sunday, February 20, at 7:30pm and on Monday, February 21, at 3:30pm.
Decryptage is an exceptional French production that explores the record of French media in demonizing Israel and downplaying Palestinian terrorism. To read CAMERA’s review of the film, click here.
February 1, 2005
CAMERA Protests One-Sided Film Festival at MOMA
CAMERA is protesting the one-sided nature of a film festival called “Documentary Fortnight” to be held at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York from February 10-28. Of the 45 films, four
* Forbidden to Wander, directed by Susan Youssef
* Detail; Details 2 & 3, directed by Avi Mograbi
* Still Life, directed by Cynthia Madansky
* Paradise Lost, directed by Ebtisam Mra’ana
are about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the focus on Palestinian suffering and/or alleged Israeli brutality.
Why is MOMA sticking to such a one-sided perspective by including at least 4 documentaries with similar viewpoints about the same conflict when there are several documentaries available that would balance the anti-Israel drumbeat and provide a more objective or sympathetic portrayal of Israel?
CAMERA is urging MOMA to include more balance by including additional documentaries that provide a more objective portrayal of Israel. There are several such documentaries available.
Jacob Gershman of the New York Sun covered the story in an article that ran on Jan. 31, 2005.