Being Jewish in France
Yves Jeuland's new documentary explores the rich history of being Jewish in France, the first country to grant Jews full citizenship.
Beginning with the revolutionary cries of
Vive la France in Yiddish, the film explores the explosive Dreyfus Affair; the welcoming of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe during the Third Republic and the election of a Jewish socialist prime minister; Vichy's murderous betrayal during World War II; and the absorption of Sephardic Jews from Arab and African countries in the 1950s and 60s.
Boasting interviews with leading French politicians, intellectuals and artists, this film continues into the 21st century, discussing charges of rising anti-Semitism and the county's complex attitudes toward Israel.
Beautifully presented and lushly illustrated with rare archival material and memorable music,
Being Jewish in France is mercifully neither a bittersweet story nor a triumphant tale of adaptation and achievement, but a frank and honest examination of this deceptively complex subject.
