AIPAC Film Festival: Body and Soul: The State of the Jewish Nation

I had the chance to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this week and was fortunate enough to attend several film screenings during breakout sessions while I was there. Please enjoy a brief summary and review below!

Body and Soul: The State of the Jewish Nation
Directed by Gloria Z. Greenfield


This film boasts a layered and clever title, one that has multiple meanings. Mostly, it’s the story of the Jewish people’s historical ties to the land of Israel, assembled from a scientific perspective. Its assembly is mostly chronological, dating back many years to empires and other conquerors who tried to expel the Jews from Israel and each time that some remained and others came back. The experts it chooses to back up its claims are united by the common thread of having PhDs and range from intellectual thinkers to religious leaders. More than anything, it’s a point-by-point exploration of the enduring nature of Judaism within Israel, and how one people survived many attempts by invaders and neighboring enemies to exterminate them. When the film’s timeline reaches near the present and arrives at the Balfour Declaration and the Holocaust, it becomes modernized but still leads back to the same themes of survival and unity. From the director of “Unmasked Judeophobia – The Threat to Civilization,” which screened at AIPAC two years ago, this is another meticulously assembled argument that, while not always deeply engaging, is resounding and strong with its message and all the evidence it puts together to support it.

Learn more about the film at www.bodyandsoulthemovie.com

AIPAC Film Festival: Touchdown Israel

I had the chance to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this week and was fortunate enough to attend several film screenings during breakout sessions while I was there. Please enjoy a brief summary and review below!

Touchdown Israel
Directed by Paul Hirschberger


Throughout its existence since 1948, American football has not been a popular sport in Israel. Yet the connection between American and Israeli culture provided the perfect opportunity to football to make its way to Israel, thanks to an emigrated American and a donor more than happy to sponsor the beginnings of a league in the young country. It turns out that Israelis are rather enthusiastic about the sport, and a number of teams have popped up around the country. There is plenty of comedy to be found in this affirming documentary, like high-scoring games due to different regulations and team and field sizes, but the more important message here is one of cooperation. While some teams do not open their ranks to all cultures, most include a mix of Jews, Arabs, Filipino immigrants, and others, creating one common ground where heritage and religion come second to playing the game. This is a fully involving, informative, and entertaining spotlight on how one sport manages to unite a country in its small way. It even managed to enthrall this reviewer, who is hardly a fan of sports.

Learn more about the film at www.touchdownisrael.com