American Première

Watching the Moon at Night — March 28 at The Center for Jewish History in New York

Film and Discussion
This powerful and timely documentary inspired by the historian Walter Laqueur explores the causes and consequences of terrorism and anti-Semitism around the globe. Creative camerawork and the poems of Nobel laureate Wislawa Szymborska are part of this exquisitely rendered cinematic essay. With filmmakers Bo Persson and Joanna Helander and journalist/educator/author and friend of Daniel Pearl, Asra Nomani. Moderated byJonathan Brent, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Ticket Info: $10 general; $7 members, seniors, students

Purchase Tickets

presented by Center for Jewish History, American Sephardi Federation, YIVO Institute, and Yeshiva University Museum

Quote by: Michael Berenbaum

“Watching the Moon at Night” is an intellectually informative, visually compelling, emotionally moving and highly disturbing exploration of the phenomena of terrorism in our time. By exploring its roots, listening to its victims and showing its consequences “Watching the Moon at Night” sheds important new light on the scourge of our time. The film remained with me long after the screen went dark, remained with me and touched the darkness and the rage of our age”.

Michael Berenbaum, First Project Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, President Shoah Visual History Foundation and currently Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute, Los Angeles

Quote by: Agnieszka Holland

“Watching the Moon at Night’ is a film that touches on some of the most important questions of our time. It depicts contemporary terrorism and political attempts to justify it, the emergence of a new modern anti-Semitism and the present situation in the Middle East, the aftermath of the Holocaust and its denial. The film shows the common ground shared by victims the world over and the similarities between the perpetrators. In the film there is no simplifying thesis, no ‘political correctness’. The perspective of the filmmakers is personal and emotional. The film truly makes you think.”

Agnieszka Holland, Film director and Chairwoman of the European Film Academy

Quote by: Marianne Ahrne

“As a film commissioner at The Swedish Film Institute I read about a thousand scripts, both feature films and feature length documentaries. Among the creative documentaries not a single one had the impact, the intelligence and the scope of ”Watching the Moon at Night”. It is a rare film on a subject widely talked about – but never quite in this compelling way. The film digs too deeply to be ”politically correct” and becomes a little scary, especially in a country like Sweden where political correctness seems to be the religion of the day. I truly believe that ”Watching the Moon at Night” deserves a wide international audience.”

Marianne Ahrne, Film director and Writer