Join us in a special evening November 18 at 6 PM as we gather for a screening of the Polish premiere of "Israelism", an award-winning documentary. The film recounts the journeys of young Jewish Americans who begin to question the dominant narratives about Israel that they learned during their upbringing. It is a story of internal conflict, political awakening and the search for justice. "Israelism" uniquely explores how Jewish attitudes towards Israel are dramatically changing, with huge implications for the region and Judaism itself.
The film was directed by two first-time Jewish filmmakers, Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen, whose personal experiences are similar to those of the characters in the story. "Israelism" won the Best Documentary Award at the Arizona International Film Festival, the Best Documentary Award at the Tallgrass Film Festival, the Spirit Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, which is the oldest, largest and most prestigious Jewish film festival in the US. These awards underline the importance of the film, which shows the changing American Jewish perspective on Israel.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with special guests at the event director Erin Axelman and sociologist Baha Hilo, who will talk about their experiences and inspiration for creating and starring in the film "Israelism," as well as share their thoughts on the situation in the region and their methods of working for a just peace and humanitarianism.
FREE ADMISSION!
Baha Hilo was born and grew up in Bethlehem, and completed his sociology studies at Birzeit University k. Ramallah. He has worked with various humanitarian, human rights and advocacy organizations, including the UN, the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the YMCA & YWCA, and the Badil Center for Residency and Refugees Rights. He also has professional experience from working with the National Council of the YMCA in Sri Lanka and in Silver Bay, USA. Since 2013, his work has focused on education about Palestine through the "To Be There" initiative, in which he organizes various educational visits for non-Palestinians, such as the annual olive harvest, olive tree planting, Palestine Land Day, summer programs and Christmas in Palestine. As a supervisor and facilitator of the FFIPP Summer Program, she enables participants to learn about diverse local perspectives, including local Palestinian activists, NGO representatives and critical Israeli academics. As an educator, she strives to present in an accessible way the complex situation facing the Palestinian people due to the policies of the Israeli state. Baha Hilo is also the coordinator of activities at the Citadel, a café that is also an intellectual and cultural center in Beit Sahour near Bethlehem. He has appeared in documentary films such as Walled Citizen and Israelism. He gives lectures worldwide, including in the United States, Brazil, Malaysia, and Europe.
Erin Axelman is a transgender Jewish person associated with a nonprofit organization dedicated to making films that support social justice movements. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. Axelman made their directorial debut with the 2023 documentary "Israelism" which tells the story of young Jewish Americans who question the traditional pro-Israel approach in which they were raised after seeing the reality of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. The film has won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Brooklyn International Film Festival. In addition to "Israelism" Axelman has produced videos for American politicians such as Senator Ed Markey and Congressman Jamaal Bowman. They are currently working on the documentary Generation Green New Deal, which deals with the youth climate movement. Themes of justice, identity and activism are central to Axelman's work, reflecting her personal journey of questioning and rethinking the narratives she grew up in.
Event program:
18:00 - Welcome and introduction
18:15 - Screening of the film "Israelism"
19:45 - Panel discussion and Q&A session
20:30 - Closing ceremony
18:15 - Screening of the film "Israelism"
19:45 - Panel discussion and Q&A session
20:30 - Closing ceremony
Movie in English with Polish subtitles.
Partners: The Rector of the University of Łódź, the Łódź Multicultural Center, the "Al-Andalus" Center for Oriental Languages, the Academic Design Center, and the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi.
We invite you to follow the event's social media channels, where updates on the schedule for the nationwide series of events will be posted regularly. Follow @bahahilopoland on Instagram!