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The Conspiracy

Sarasota Film Festival 2023

Narrated by Mayim Bialik and directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin, THE CONSPIRACY is an animated documentary that shows how a centuries-old myth has moved from the fringe to the mainstream, becoming a pillar of modern anti- Semitism. To tell this story, the film uses the first-hand accounts of three prominent Jewish families. We follow the Dreyfuses, Warburgs, and Bronsteins as the conspiracy develops and the lives of these families are woven further into its net. Alternating between the stories of a French soldier, a German banker, and a Russian revolutionary, the film spans centuries to show the recurrence of the same conspiracy theory. This conspiracy that ravages the lives of our characters is set against the backdrop of a larger story about the Jewish people. From Simonini’s letter blaming the French Revolution on a Jewish conspiracy to the poisonous Protocols of the Elders of Zion, conmen and forgers spin an elaborate web of lies blaming Jews for the ills of the world. Disaffected citizens conjure up alternative explanations for democratic progress, and delusional nationalists pin the failures of their country on Jewish residents. Antisemites attempt to justify their hate with pseudo-scientific race theory. All the way up to the present day. The Conspiracy ends by returning to Robert Bowers in his Pittsburgh apartment. Convinced that an aid society, with ties to the Warburg family, is conspiring to replace the white race by bringing in refugees, Bowers commits mass murder at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

Judy Blume Forever

Sarasota Film Festival 2023

Generations of readers have found themselves in a Judy Blume book. Her name alone launches aflood of memories for anyone who’s gripped one of her many paperbacks. For decades, Blume’s radicalhonesty has comforted and captivated readers – and landed her at the center of controversy for herfrankness about puberty and sex. Now the beloved American author candidly shares her owncoming-of-age story.Emmy-winning filmmakers Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok trace Blume’s journey from fearful,imaginative child to storytelling pioneer who elevated the physical and emotional lives of kids andteens, to banned writer who continues to fight back against censorship today. Playful and poignantanimations celebrate the magic and awkwardness of being young, while intimate conversations withacclaimed authors and artists reveal Blume’s profound impact on readers. Long-standing fans shareopen-hearted letters they wrote to Blume over decades.With humor, sensitivity, and a healthy dose of adolescent cringe, Judy Blume Forever tells the story ofthe woman whose trail-blazing books changed the way millions of readers understand themselves, theirsexuality, and what it means to grow up

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