Film on Jewish Refugees from Arab/Islamic countries wins “Best Documentary” at Marbella Film Festival

The Forgotten Refugees, a documentary that explores the history and destruction of Middle Eastern Jewish communities, has just won first prize at the Marbella Film Festival in Marbella, Spain.

The film, produced by the Boston based David Project Center for Jewish Leadership, chronicles the impact of the Arab Muslim conquest, the resulting oppression of non Muslims under Dhimmitude, the development of Judeo-Arab culture, and the modern rise of Arab nationalism that drove out hundreds of thousands of Jews from their homes and communities, some of which had existed for over 2,500 years.

“This destruction, a significant loss for the Jewish people and for the Middle East, has been generally ignored,” said Charles Jacobs, David Project President. “The generation of Jews who lived and were forced out of their homes in Arabia and Iran is aging and we wanted to do something to capture their personal stories before it was too late,” he said.

The film features testimony from Jews who fled Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco and Iran, and explores the rich heritage these age-old Jewish communities. Personal stories of refugees are interspersed with dramatic archival footage, including the mission to rescue Yemenite Jews.

“The film represents a unique approach to educating the public about an integral but little known aspect of Middle East history,” said Jacobs.

A trailer of the film can be seen on www.davidproject.org. The David Project arranges screenings of The Forgotten Refugees in communities around the country. The film has been translated into 5 languages.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 and is filed under news. You can leave a response.