Telling a true tale with power, poetry and pride

We are very proud of our Rhode Island Jewish filmmaker, Debra Messing, of East Greenwich, who is one of the executive producers of Wendy Sachs’ masterpiece movie documentary “October 8.” It deals with the spread of antisemitism and anti-Israel responses among many of our once welcoming and inclusive colleges, universities, and audiences since October 2023. We visited her when she was a newcomer to our state at the age of 3!

 We were fortunate to catch the first showing of this wondrous work of art that serves as a perfect protest in form and content, like a Haggadah that tells the tale of Passover with power, with poetry, and with pride. I recommend it not only for its excellence as a film but even more as a revival of the value of movies as a medium capable of intelligence and information, not just the escapism and evasion, common in popular films, that tends to lower the level of our national intelligence. Please go to the nearest cinema that has the courage, imagination, and daring to screen this masterpiece of moviemaking.

It was not escapist fare but informative, powerful and challenging from start to finish. There was only one couple that shared the launching of this incredible achievement with us: crowds often seem to prefer escapist “entertainment” to the enlightenment that enhances the esthetic pleasure of what the camera can convey and articulate.

Please don’t miss this alternative to evasion, especially now, when we collectively recount the outrageous response the major movie world has produced. Our responsibility in this season of springtime is to tell a true tale that may not please the palate but will produce an apt reminder of our history. This will deepen the holiday of remembering, recounting, and responsibly in reaction to the present crisis.

Debra, your genius and loyalty move me profoundly! Your film, with its brilliance and courage in defending our beloved Israel, makes other movies shrink in value! It tells it like it is and sends a message to those colleges and universities whose morally bankrupt evasions and escapist enthusiasms for the usual anti-Jewish escape from realities have shriveled their once proud reputations! Here is my toast to Pesach: Mr. President, whatever it takes to save the rest of the hostages, GO FOR IT!!!!

MIKE FINK (mfink33@aol.com) is a professor emeritus at the Rhode Island School of Design.