Special Screening For "Inglourious Basterds" Featured At Museum
Special Screening For “Inglourious Basterds” Featured At Museum Of Tolerance And Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino attended a screening of “Inglourious Basterds,” along with a group of panelists and over 300 attendants, many who were survivors of the Holocaust and children of survivors. The town hall meeting sparked a glowing discussion with the filmmaker and the group of panelists. Tarantino joined the panel on Thursday night that led by Rabbi Abraham Cooper and featured Rabbi Marvin Heir, producer Lawrence Bender, media entrepreneur Dan Adler, and actor Eli Roth. The screening was a special community event held at the Museum of Tolerance, which is part of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rabbi Cooper addressed the film’s growing cultural significance and the symbolic notion of justice that it brings to moviegoers: “This fantasy film allows you a few moments to live in the ‘what if’ and to ponder because in day to day life, we do NOT have that privilege.” Rabbi Hier added to the fact that historical accuracy is not a negative factor to the film, but gives audiences a sense of release and satisfaction. “The original concept was an adventure movie,” Tarantino explained, as he stated that many adventure stories took place during WWII. Even though he noted that the film was not made for a higher purpose, there was no doubt that the actual outcome of the film has impacted not only the audiences, but the members behind the production as well. Bender highlighted, “I really felt like I reconnected with my Judaism in a way that I had never experienced before in my life” and explained how audience’s reactions have been extremely positive which has made the film worth it. Many of the audience members engaged the panel with questions, with one member noting that “Only a Non-Jew could have made this film because you don’t have the fears of hesitations that Jews live with every day?and THANK You.” By the conclusion of the night, the majority of those who attended agreed that what the film does best “is spark up discussion, and that’s what is most important,” added Roth
