Boots Riley, Debra Winger, Joel Coen and Lenny Abrahamson are also on the roster.
Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould, Chloe Fineman and more than 150 other Jewish creators have signed an open letter in support of Jonathan Glazer's Oscar speech.
List of 151 signatories obtained by Variety Phoenix sister Rain, three-time Oscar nominee Debra Winger, “May December” director Todd Haynes, “Sorry to Bother You” helmer Boots Riley, acclaimed filmmaker Joel Coen, “Room” director Lenny Abrahamson, “Arrested Development” star David including Cross, documentarian Amy Berg, “Barbie” actor Harry Neff, legendary playwright Tom Stoppard, former Focus Pictures CEO James Schamus, comedian Kate Berland, “You Hurt My Feelings” director Nicole Holofcener, “Secrets & Lies” author Mike Liege, “B.” filmmaker Ira Sachs, “Gossip Girl” actor and writer Davey Kevinson, “The Princess Bride” actor Wallace Shawn, “Bottoms” director Emma Seligman, “Mistress America” star Lola Kirke, “Zola” helmer Janissa Bravo , starring “Broad City” Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson and IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich.
Variety It has accessed personal representatives for many of the signatories and independently reviewed documents confirming their participation.
In a statement Variety, Ilana Glazer said, “I signed this letter to address the quiet environment many workplaces and industries are facing around Israel's war on Gaza, now entering its seventh month. A case in point is the controversy surrounding Jonathan Glazer.
Shamus added, “It's been weeks since Jonathan Glazer's acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, but this week we remember the senseless killing of seven World Center kitchen helpers — and countless Palestinian civilians. It should become as urgent as our duty as Jewish creationists to resist the vicious smear campaign waged against him.
After Glazer's Holocaust drama “The Zone of Interest” won the Oscar for best international feature at the March 10 ceremony, the director used his speech to address the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say what they did then, but look at what we are doing now. Our film shows where humanity is going very badly. It has shaped our past and our present,” said Glaser. “Now, We stand here as Holocaust deniers and Jews kidnapped by an occupation that led to conflict for many innocent people. Victims of October – Victims of October 7 in Israel or the attacks on Gaza, how can all victims of this inhumane protest?
His words were met with backlash and praise. In an open letter published on March 18, more than 1,000 Jewish creatives and executives condemned Glazer's speech for helping to fuel “growing anti-Semitism around the world,” while others like director Ken Loach called his statement “courageous.” and “very valuable.” Glaser has yet to publicly address the backlash for the speech, but earlier this week the director donated seven signed “Zone of Desire” posters to a Cinema for Gaza auction to raise money for medical aid for Palestinians.
“We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers and creative professionals who support Jonathan Glazer's statement from the 2024 Oscars. We are alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry misrepresenting and condemning his views,” the open letter reads. “Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel's escalating military campaign, which has already killed 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation. We mourn all those killed in Palestine and Israel over the decades, including the 1,200 Israelis killed and 253 hostages in the October 7 Hamas attacks. .
The letter continues, “Attacks on Glazer have a chilling effect on our industry, contributing to a broader climate of suppression of free speech and dissent. Glazer, Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg and countless artists of all backgrounds have condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians. We should all do the same without being wrongly accused of inciting bigotry.
“We honor the Holocaust: never again for anyone,” the statement concludes.
Read the full open letter and see the list of signatories below.
We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers and creative professionals supporting Jonathan Glazer's statement from the 2024 Oscars. We were concerned that some of our colleagues in the industry were misrepresenting and condemning his views. Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel's escalating military campaign, which has already killed 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands more to the brink of starvation. We mourn all those killed in Palestine and Israel over the decades, including the 1,200 Israelis killed and 253 hostages in the October 7 Hamas attacks.
The attacks on Glazer have a chilling effect on our industry, contributing to a broader climate of free speech and suppression of dissent, qualities our industry should cherish. Glazer, Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg And countless other artists of all backgrounds have condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians. We should all do the same without being wrongly accused of inciting bigotry.
In his speech, Glazer asked how to counter the dehumanization that has led to mass atrocities throughout history. That such a statement is taken as an insult only underlines its urgency. We can name Israel's apartheid and occupation – both recognized by leading human rights organizations – without being accused of rewriting history.
As the director of the Auschwitz Memorial, Dr. Piotr MA Chaivsky, wrote, “'The Zone of Interest' is not a film about the Shoah. It is primarily a profound warning about humanity and its nature. We should not assign this warning to a group. To preserve our humanity and ensure our mutual survival, any group must sound the alarm when faced with such acts of cruelty and destruction.
We are proud Jews who condemn the weaponization of Jewish identity and the memory of the Holocaust to justify what many experts in international law, including leading Holocaust experts, argue. Scholarsidentified as “Genocide in the making.” We reject the false choice between Jewish security and Palestinian freedom. We stand with all those calling for a permanent cease-fire, including the safe return of all hostages and immediate aid to Gaza, and an end to Israel's continued bombardment and blockade of Gaza.
We honor the memory of the Holocaust: never again.
signed,
- Ronan Alexandrovich
- V (formerly Eve Ensler)
Ehrlich is a critic at IndieWire, which shares parent company Penske Media. Variety.
