Exile: A Myth Unearthed 2012
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada, 1123 Broadway, Suite 307, New York, NY 10010; 800-542-2164
Produced by Amit Breuer, Serge Gordey, Christine Camdessus, Colette Loumède, Ilan Ziv
Directed by Ilan Ziv
DVD, 104 min. (2 parts)
Sr. High - General Adult
Judaism, Middle East, Multiculturalism, Religion
Date Entered: 09/05/2013
Reviewed by Michael Fein, Coordinator of Library Services, Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg, VAUsing excavations at the site of the ancient Jewish city of Sepphoris the author of this production, Ziv, contends that the great Jewish exile of 70 A.D. /C.E. is a complete myth. He employs a broad brush and a large mosaic in presenting views of not only the excavations in Sepphoris, but the Jewish community in Rome, the Palestinian village on the site of ancient Sepphoris (destroyed after the establishment of modern Israel), and a range of theological, political, and sociological viewpoints/comments to support his argument. The basic thrust of this film, which is a veiled anti-Zionist argument, is “Why we need to all get along." Besides the moving shots the viewer is treated to a number of still photographs and other images. Narration is in English with interviews in Arabic, English, Hebrew and Italian, with subtitles. Technically, this film is outstanding with Dolby digital 5.1 sound and near perfect photography. This revisionist history of the Jewish exile will appeal to iconoclasts of all stripes; those who are more traditional in their views may not be as enthusiastic.