On Sunday evening, in Los Angeles, the Academy Awards were granted for films made and screened over the past year. The awards have nominated 2 Israeli-made films – Golda, which focuses on the story of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 – in the makeup category; and ‘A Letter to the pig’, a short animated film, in that category. The two films did not win, not surprisingly.
The film that was undoubtedly the biggest winner of the evening was Oppenheimer, the acclaimed film by director Christopher Nolan. This is a biographical film about the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ Robert Oppenheimer, which describes in detail the rise and fall of Oppenheimer’s politics, parallel to the story of the invention of the bomb that completely changed history and the present world. The film won seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Editing, and more.
Although Oppenheimer mainly deals with physics, history, and politics, it is in many ways a very Jewish film. There are many references during the film to Oppenheimer’s Jewish identity, and to the influence that it had upon his life and choices (when in reality, Oppenheimer was even a great Zionist and a supporter of the State of Israel). In addition, many of Oppenheimer’s associates and friends who appear in the film were Jews – from Isidore Rabi through Albert Einstein, and even his great rival, Louis Struss. Struss is portrayed in the film by Robert Downey Jr., an actor of Jewish descent with a strong connection to Israel. Downey Jr. won an Oscar for his role in the film – his first win. It is certainly time for Downey Jr., one of Hollywood’s most prominent actors of the 21st century, to be officially recognized for his skills.
Prior to the ceremony, many pro-Palestinian organizations threatened a breach of order during the event to draw international attention to the uproar and cause criticism of Israel; but in the end, there were a few demonstrations outside the hall, some actors with a red button on their coat flap, and a line in the speech by the winner of the Best Foreign Film. If this is the result of BDS efforts, we’re fine.
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