The writer and filmmaker Tony Kushner has spoken out in support of director Jonathan Glazer, whose speech at the Academy Awards two weeks ago continues to divide people’s opinions.
On March 10th, Glazer received an award for best foreign language film and he connected his film, The Zone of Interest, to present situations in the Middle East.
The speaker expressed a wish that his film, depicting the domestic lives of Rudolph and Hedwig Höss near the Auschwitz walls while Rudolph served as commandant, would illustrate the consequences of dehumanization at its most extreme. It encompasses both our past and present.
While on stage, Glazer was joined by producer James Wilson and financier Len Blavatnik as they continued their presentation.
Currently, we are in a position where we, as men, reject our Jewish identity and the appropriation of the Holocaust by an occupying force, which has caused strife for countless innocent individuals. Whether it is the casualties of the October 7th attacks in Israel or the ongoing assault on Gaza, the victims of this dehumanization – how can we stand against it?”
On the Monday episode of the podcast for Israeli paper Haaretz, Kushner, a Pulitzer prize recipient for his play Angels in America, was featured. He has also worked closely with Steven Spielberg on four films, including 2022’s The Fabelmans.
Kushner was asked if he related to the speech, and he replied affirmatively, stating that it is a message that resonates with everyone. The overall message emphasizes the importance of Jewishness, identity, history, and the horrors of the Holocaust, while also noting that these should never be exploited to justify the dehumanization or killing of others.
Kushner stated that the misinterpretation of the Jewish identity and the significance of the Holocaust is unacceptable and that Glazer strongly disagrees with this. He questioned, “Who in their right mind would consider the current events in Gaza to be acceptable?”
Kushner, a Jewish individual, expressed to the Guardian his pride in The Fabelmans, which is based on Spielberg’s early life, for addressing and condemning anti-Semitism in the United States. He stated, “It is always an admirable thing to denounce anti-Semitism. Its history is unparalleled in its disgrace, and those who entertain it or allow it to persist are headed towards a dangerous path. Fascism and authoritarianism are consistently unoriginal and unchanging, and they will continue to follow the same patterns.”
“They lack a vast arsenal of imagination, and anti-Semitism has consistently been present for centuries. Therefore, if anyone begins to speak in a manner reminiscent of an anti-Semite, they should immediately be rejected and disassociated with. Do not align with such individuals.”
Kushner has frequently spoken out about the conflict in the Middle East; in 2011, the City University of New York U-turned on its decision to block an honorary degree given to the playwright on the grounds that he was insufficiently pro-Israel.
The aftermath of Glazer’s speech, which received a warm reception at the Dolby theatre, caused a stir the following week, with the US Holocaust Survivors Foundation and Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemning his comments as a justification for terrorism.
However, strong advocates of Glazer such as Boots Riley, Zoe Kazan, and Asif Kapadia were prompt to defend him, with Kapadia stating to Variety: “He braved up and spoke honesty. This is the mark of a genuine artist.”
An editorial in Haaretz contended that Glazer’s stance was accurate, and the director of the Auschwitz Memorial also supported him, stating that “Glazer delivered a universal moral caution against dehumanization.”
Dr. Piotr MA Cywiński further stated, “His intention was not to lower himself to the level of political rhetoric. Those who were anticipating a definitive political stance or a film exclusively focused on genocide failed to comprehend the profoundness of his message.”
Towards the end of the week, Danny Cohen, the executive producer of The Zone of Interest, went against the norm and shared on the Unholy podcast that he strongly disagreed with Glazer’s statements. Last Friday, Laszlo Nemes, who won an Oscar for a foreign language film set in Auschwitz during the end of World War II, 2015’s Son of Saul, expressed to the Guardian that Glazer should have remained quiet instead of exposing his lack of comprehension of history and the factors contributing to the collapse of society before or after the Holocaust.
Nemes added, “If he had recognized the significance of making a film of that nature, he would not have resorted to repeating propaganda that ultimately seeks to eliminate any Jewish presence on Earth.”
On Monday, Spielberg’s sister, Laura Spielberg, was one of some 450 Jewish creatives who signed an open letter condemning Glazer’s speech and criticising what they perceived as his “drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination”.
As of Tuesday, around 700 more individuals have added their names to the letter. The letter raised concerns about Glazer’s choice of language, specifically using words like “occupation” to describe a native Jewish population defending their land for thousands of years, which has been officially recognized as a state by the United Nations. This is perceived as distorting historical facts.
The Guardian has reached out to Glazer and Spielberg for their response.
Source: theguardian.com
