Calls for Hollywood Boycott of France

[NewsGuy]

Jewish group calls on movie industry to stay away from Cannes

LOS ANGELES, May 9 AFP|Published: Friday May 10, 8:29 AM

A major US Jewish group is calling on Hollywood stars and powerbrokers to consider boycotting the Cannes films festival this month because of anti-Semitic attacks in France.

The American Jewish Congress on ran the latest in a series of powerful advertisements in Tinseltown's trade publications today, comparing modern day France to the Nazi-sympathetic regime set up in Vichy during World War II.

Sporting a sombre black background, the advertisement listed alleged similarities in the country between 1942 and 2002, including the fire-bombing of synagogues and schools and attacks on Jews in French streets.

"What we are trying to do to get the entertainment industry ... to rethink whether they want to go to Cannes ... or if they do go to Cannes, to raise the issue of anti-Semitism there," said the group's executive director Gary Ratner.

Full Story (http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/2002/05/10/FFXIR48Y01D.html)

[cerulean]

Would it be logical to extend this concept to boycotting trips to France, or trips to the EU for that matter? However, it is a natural consequence that every time I read another such story, my desire to include the spot on a future trip declines.

My main concern is that boycotting Cannes would end up harming a lot of people not at all involved in the attacks.

[takeo]

actually the anti-semitic attacks happened by a small group of criminal algerians, so perhaps you can boycott the worst hlm-neighbourhoods of some french cities... but it won't make much difference as not many Americans come there anyway...
UNLESS of course you want to boycott France because it dare to criticise war-criminal Sharon...
I consider boycotting hollywood and the US-industry for biased pro-israeli views by illegally copying movies, computer-programms and cd's, my wallet agreed too :D (you see the Jewish background is indeniable...)

[takeo]

anyway, please go on, the less american trash in our film-festival the better

[Belgium@EU]

Who cares about Hollywood? It's a European festival, we don't want any big hollywood productions in cannes.

Ohh, here in Europe we have a similar problem. There are many voices who want to boycot Israel in the "EUROVISION SONGFESTIVAL".


Ohh yeah, let's compare France with the nazi-regime. Where are the camps? Where are the people marching in the streets wearing black uniforms? Is there any sign in France which says "Dogs and Jews are forbidden in this story"? No, this means this article is a load of BS, written by somebody who thinks Europe is just below Florida.

[Mediocrates]

Wow, one less black and white handheld artfilm to stare through. Oh you are sooooo precious.

Is it true that neo realism cinema got its start after WW2 when no one could afford to use a studio and just filmed out in the streets for free? The critics raved and so was born a new art form.

[Mediocrates]

The last time I was in France I watched an American movie in English with subtitles in French. You folks can't get enough of our movies.

[Belgium@EU]

No, we just love watching American movies because they are sometimes so funny. All those patriotic movies where the facts are twisted (The Patriot). So funny, and than you think that there are still people who believe in this ****.

[Mediocrates]

I could sell the licence plates off my car in the flea markets north of Paris for about US$100 just because they are from the US. You like to say you hate us but's it's hard to hear you clearly while you'r sucking down Cokes, listening to our music, watching our movies and typing on computers that run on our software.

And EuroDisney REALLY IS the cleanest place in France.

[Belgium@EU]

Yeah, believe your own words. Maybe because you've never been to France. We drink coke, and my computer runs on Win 2000. But have you ever thought of were your roots come from?

Democracy --> comes from Europe (Greeks)
your law-system --> comes from Europe (Romans)
arts, cultur --> comes from Europe
language --> comes from Europe
siences --> need I say more?

Thanks to whom you've been to the Moon? You captured German scientists who knew a big deal on rocket technology. Still, the US claims that they were the ones that invented the space program.

100 years ago, Europe was the centre of the world. After WWI, this has changed, and the US became more important. WWII made an end to the European hegemony, and two new worldpowers erupted.

[gregg]

Originally posted by Belgium@EU
Who cares about Hollywood? It's a European festival, we don't want any big hollywood productions in cannes.

Ohh, here in Europe we have a similar problem. There are many voices who want to boycot Israel in the "EUROVISION SONGFESTIVAL".


Ohh yeah, let's compare France with the nazi-regime. Where are the camps? Where are the people marching in the streets with black uniforms? Is there any sign in France which says "Dogs and Jews are forbidden in this story"? No, this means this article is a load of BS, written by somebody who thinks Europe is just below Florida.

Funny that you said that I just heard of a story that a hotel owner did not want to provide lodging to a person becuase he was Jewish.

[Belgium@EU]

Yeah, but that can happen everywhere.

In the US, f.i. you have the ZOG-org : the zionist occupied government org. A bunch of skinheads I know, but it's nothing to only happens in Europe.

[Mediocrates]

Democracy --> comes from Europe (Greeks)
your law-system --> comes from Europe (Romans)
arts, cultur --> comes from Europe
language --> comes from Europe
s(c)iences --> need I say more? "



But what about the LAST 2,000 years??????

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by Belgium@EU
Yeah, believe your own words. Maybe because you've never been to France. We drink coke, and my computer runs on Win 2000. But have you ever thought of w(h)ere your roots come from?

Been to France many times, I have family there
coke - American, from Atlanta Georgia
W2K - American, from Seattle Washington

and as far as my ancestry is concerned, they were run out, pretty much at gunpoint, from the following countries:

Belarus (1904)
Poland (1902)
Italy (1909)
Germany (1856)
Ireland (1763 & 1899)

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by Belgium@EU
Yeah, but that can happen everywhere.

In the US, f.i. you have the ZOG-org : the zionist occupied government org. A bunch of skinheads I know, but it's nothing to only happens in Europe.


Could you rewrite that either in English or sober? Thanks.

[Belgium@EU]

How do you mean the last 2000-years. Europe only started conolizing 500 years ago and the US became independent 200 years ago. These are no things that happened 2000 years ago.

ZOG = zionist occupied gov't. These are a bunch of skinheads in the US who think that the Israeli lobby has too much power. I want to say that racist/anti-semite organisations like these are also in the US, and not only in Europe, before we are accused again of Jew-hatred.

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by Belgium@EU
I want to say that racist/anti-semite organisations like these are also in the US, and not only in Europe, before we are accused again of Jew-hatred.
That's true. There is plenty of racism and anti-Semitism in the US.

The difference between the situation here and in Europe is that the racists here do not get 20% of the popular vote in the elections, as happened in France and Austria.

And even apart from participating in elections, the racist groups in the US have no political power, whereas in places like Belgium, France, UK, Netherlands, Austria, etc. the racist and neo-fascists do have a lot of political power.

Also, as a third distinction, the official government policies in Europe are typically biased against Israel (which is not just opposition to Sharon's policies), but an institutional form of political anti-Semitism, IMO.

The European governments consistently serve as the political mouthpiece for Islamic terrorist goups and those groups' financiers. As such, the European governments are legitimizing the mass murder of Jews, which is exactly in line with their historical positions.

I will say that Europe makes some fine cheese, wine, chocolates, ice cream and cars, but beyond that, it is a continent in which the governments are really second-rate and their self-delusions of grandeur are used as a license to support anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.

[Belgium@EU]

The difference between the situation here and in Europe is that the racists here do not get 20% of the popular vote in the elections, as happened in France and Austria.

That's because you've got another electioral system. If you wouldn't have the two-party system, there would also be a 'redneck party', which would get lots of popular votes in Texas ... You don't have socialists either, or leftwing parties, so don't judge Europe on its political parties. I know the situation in the country-side of the US, lots of rednecks, KKK ... don't say that these people wouldn't vote for a rightwing party just because they are Americans.


As such, the European governments are legitimizing the mass murder of Jews, which is exactly in line with their historical positions.

False: in fact, our gov't just took some books out of the market in which was stated that the Holocaust might be a bit exagerrated. Ofcourse, there were some extremists opposing to it, but what you just said shows your complete lack of knowledge on this matter. Get your facts straight "webbie" !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

[Mediocrates]

110 million Americans live in a 150 mile wide swath of land from Northern Virginia to southern Maine. Basically the meglapolitan corridor that contains: DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, NYC, Hartford, Boston. Another 40+ million live in the corridor from Atlanta, down one side of Florida, up the other, through Mobile, Biloxi and over to Houston. Another 30 million live on the narrow strip 50 miles wide from San Diego to Seattle. They are as densely packed and as urban/suburban as any part of Western Europe.

If you divide the amount of land by the number of people in gross numbers it seems that the US is a rural country but if you look where people actually live you'll find the demographic complexion no different from your own.

BTW - at the time of the American Revolution, Philadelphia was the 4th largest English speaking city in the WORLD.

[Mediocrates]

We HAVE lots of minor parties but because of our representative system of government eg. non parliamentary, and not because of the electoral system, they never have much prominence. I mean you have a very European parlianmentary system in the UK and they basically have a two party system, effectively as well. There are other parties but they don't get much accomplished.


We've had socialist governers and mayors, albeit playing minor roles, and the Redneck party as you describe it is more a factor of local politics and the times rather than any ascribing to one party or another. For example for decades the Deep South was solidly democrat since the end of the Civil War - it was Lincoln the Republican who beat them. But in the last 25 years the South is now solidly Republican-Conservative, mostly over tax and social issues, seeing how this is the home of the Southern Baptists and the Bible Belt. Same people - same beliefs - different orientation.
We also have our own David Duke and Pat Buchanan but they play a minor role and only attract their own hard core permanent constituency. Now, is the general tenor of the country veering rightward? Yes it is that is undeniable. So? In fact that's part of the growth of Libertarianism here in the US. For lots of people, Libertarians are Conservatives who smoke pot, figuratively speaking.

Evidence of that exists even where you live - all over Europe. We see in modern countries all over the world either a rightward shift or a general trend toward Corporateocracy as in SE Asia.

One would expect given the history of the country from 1865-1918 that socialism would never take center stage in American politics. The economic history of the time is story of the battles between the labor movement and the capitalists with the capitalists appying brute force and the labor movement forcing dramatic changes in the face of it. It has never been about cooperation. And now that the Progerssive-Labor movement is fairly dormant one would expect that their other social issues beyond wages and work conditions to be ignored.(Does it shock you that I'm an economist by training and a socialist to boot?)

[takeo]

nobody is arguing that the us isn't an urbanised country...
The French government is not encouraging anti-semitism on the countrary the anti-racist laws here are much tougher than in the US, nazi-parties are outlawed and racist crimes get harder punishments.
of course we have rightw-ing parties, in some countries unfortunately strong, but some courants in the republican party are really no different from those ultra-right European parties.
About Israel, also Europe is biased, it won't treath israel as for example Yougoslavia for the same crimes, yet less biased than the US, who will protect Israel in one way or another whoever is in power and whatever it does.

hey but if you have German, Irish and Italian ancestors, how can you be a Jew? i love Belarus, the coolest people on earth. What always amased me is that such cool people as Jewish people from Eastern Europe, irish and Italians (i was never really fund of germans) could turn into AMERICANS.

of course we like to enjoy American products (even if the quality is low sometimes , it's good for some distraction and usually more funny than European movies) , we are openminded people and we like diversity. we have hamburger places like you guys BUT we also have affortable quality-restaurants of all sizes and shapes. How many Americans will enjoy European films with subtitles, huh? maybe because americans can't read or don't like to hear a language other than their own (another famous caracteristic of americans is that they are very poor at foreign languages, and even if they try they can't).

[Evolution]

I love Hollywood, and losing the American influence in European cinema would be a loss, but the European movie scene is artistic and classy.

Europe is not anti Semetic, plz get that into your heads. The US is only shielded from anti semetic popular waves by the pro-Israeli establishment, which is not so prevalent in the EU.

[cerulean]

Originally posted by takeo

hey but if you have German, Irish and Italian ancestors, how can you be a Jew? i love Belarus, the coolest people on earth. What always amased me is that such cool people as Jewish people from Eastern Europe, irish and Italians (i was never really fund of germans) could turn into AMERICANS.


I sense a new slogan (and a possible driver for immigration policy):

AMERICA - It's good enough for Einstein, but not for takeo.

Originally posted by takeo
we are openminded people and we like diversity. we have hamburger places like you guys BUT we also have affortable quality-restaurants of all sizes and shapes. How many Americans will enjoy European films with subtitles, huh? maybe because americans can't read or don't like to hear a language other than their own (another famous caracteristic of americans is that they are very poor at foreign languages, and even if they try they can't). [/B]

I suggest you visit any large coastal city in the US and you will find hundreds of inexpensive (or expensive if you prefer) ethnic restaurants of all different varieties. No attitude from the waiters either generally.

There are certainly a lot of Americans who are fluent or partially fluent in Spanish. A number of Americans know the language of their immigrant parents. Of course there is not the same concern to develop fluency in other languages as there is in the EU, and this is a shortcoming in the US educational system. Certainly the US is not perfect.

Films with subtitles - lots of Americans are interested in these.

[NewsGuy]

Well, it's true that many Americans do not think it is important for them to be fluent in foreign languages, although lately, there is a trend to the contrary. Especially with Americans learning Spanish, as Cerulean said.

But it's also true that many Americans see America as being the entire world. And that's fine. Why not? It's composed of 52 states and that's plenty for many people.

On the other hand, I've observed that my European friends speak multiple languages, because depending where you are in Europe, one can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in 3 different countries on the same day, so maybe they take each others' languages more seriously than do Americans.

Personally, I very much enjoy the languages I speak, and it opens a different perspective on things for me. Maybe everyone would enjoy speaking multiple languages. I don't know.

As for European movies, we have a special category for foreign movies at the Academy Awards, and most movie rental stores have a foreign language section.

Movies like Mediterraneo, Chocolat, Cinema Paradiso, il Postino, Das Boot, and others have been very popular here.

In all honesty, most European movies I've seen try too hard to be socially important. All this self-importance stuff, a grandiose view of life, overabundance of melodrama, etc. is just overreaching, to the point that it is just not very good entertainment any more. Like many Europeans, these movies just take themselves too seriously and need to just put some more fun in their lives and not worry if there is no brow-beating social commentary all the time.

[pierom]

Originally posted by NewsGuy
In all honesty, most European movies I've seen try too hard to be socially important. All this self-importance stuff, a grandiose view of life, overabundance of melodrama, etc. is just overreaching, to the point that it is just not very good entertainment any more. Like many Europeans, these movies just take themselves too seriously and need to just put some more fun in their lives and not worry if there is no brow-beating social commentary all the time.

I guess you are right, but I think this contributes to their particular flavour and it's a matter of taste. Some people like beer, while some other love cider.

But I think that if you compare this kind of cinema with most of nowadays Holliwood films, there is the same difference as between eating in a McDonald restaurant and having dinner in a little family run "trattoria". In one case you have an industrial product: in the other, to some extent a handcrafted one. This does not apply for Woody Allen or off Hollywood films.

And finally one last remark: why is it so necessary to have your regular murder in so many of the Hollywood films? This is, for example what I don't like in Altman, a director that from many points of view reminds me of European ones. Can you think of one of his films without some character dying or being killed?

[christian]

I love Hollywood for entertainment. However, the pictures in Hollywood regards about history is out of context.

The European film is much more serious minded. It is not that entertaining on the other hand.

For example, in "Pearl Harbor" the movie, America beats the japanese through a small crew of airplanes fighter. In reality, it is the atomic bomb do the job.

[Scathe]

Originally posted by Mediocrates
We HAVE lots of minor parties but because of our representative system of government eg. non parliamentary, and not because of the electoral system, they never have much prominence. I mean you have a very European parlianmentary system in the UK and they basically have a two party system, effectively as well. There are other parties but they don't get much accomplished.


You don't know much about UK politics do you! A few years ago the Tory party under John Major was in power - the losing General Election saw them lose ALL seats in Scotland, which eventually led to the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years, with the SNP being a major political force. Not to mention Plaid Cymru in Wales which got several seats in that election and is responsible for a seperate assembley in Wales. Just those 2 examples make your statement "other parties but they don't get much accomplished" absolutely ridiculous.

More recently, it looks like the liberal party will become the shadow party of the government in the years to come as the Tory's lose more support. I think this has been where you may have got confused - there is always a shadow party for the government, thus 2 main parties making the news all the time - which makes some Americans think the UK is similar to the US - which is not even close.

[pierom]

Originally posted by Mediocrates


Been to France many times, I have family there
coke - American, from Atlanta Georgia
W2K - American, from Seattle Washington

and as far as my ancestry is concerned, they were run out, pretty much at gunpoint, from the following countries:

Belarus (1904)
Poland (1902)
Italy (1909)
Germany (1856)
Ireland (1763 & 1899)

With respect, I have some doubts that your ancestors had to leave Italy at gunpoint, unless they had their private motives. It happens that exactly in the year you mention, Italy was ruled by a Jewish Prime Minister, Sydney Sonnino (1909-1910)!

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by Scathe
I think this has been where you may have got confused - there is always a shadow party for the government, thus 2 main parties making the news all the time - which makes some Americans think the UK is similar to the US - which is not even close.
I don't think that Mediocrates was "confused" at all.

His point was that the UK also has a political system that, for the most part, has only 2 central players.

You've just confirmed that.

[NewsGuy]

Anyway, getting back to the original topic, I hope that a partial boycott of the French event will take place. If not, then at least this initiative casts a shadow over it and calls attention to the explosion in French anti-Semitism.

President Abu Chirac needs to know that even if the French themselves don't mind anti-Semitic violence, then at least the US, which has great global influence, does care a lot, and is prepared to act against France.

For that matter, this is a strong hint that other European countries where anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head, are also on the US radar for trade and cultural reprisals. Not only the US government is involved, but there is a grass-roots movement of US citizens as well.

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by pierom


With respect, I have some doubts that your ancestors had to leave Italy at gunpoint, unless they had their private motives. It happens that exactly in the year you mention, Italy was ruled by a Jewish Prime Minister, Sydney Sonnino (1909-1910)!


Did I say they were Jewish?

[pierom]

Originally posted by Mediocrates



Did I say they were Jewish?

Too bad: I would have disproved you by a delightful coincidence!

[Leviathan]

Many wonderful things come from Europe; spelling apparently is not one of them.

[takeo]

it doesn't seem to reach you if we all say that France isn't anti-semitic and that everything is done to stop anti-semitic and other racist attacks. Of course you know better because you read in the JP that france is anti-semitic.
So next time a racist crime happens in the States we will all call for a cultural embargo of the US. And next time a moroccan is killed in Belgium morocco should boycott Brussels film festival :rolleyes:
Of course it is obvious that the real reason for your anti-french histeria is our country criticising your hero-warcriminal Sharon and the israeli occupation policy.

About the movies: I think some Americans are having a sincere desire to speak foreign languages (and in some states so many people hablan espanol that it is usefull to learn some) but the problem is that most only hear english and that American accent is prohibiting speaking other languages properly... (some say that of the French as well by the way). Americans are also lucky that english has become the universal second language in much of the world.
we indeed need it more to speak other languages, yet in some countries i have to admit foreign language knowledge is poor too, especially big countries like Spain, italy, Great-Brittain or France.
About the restaurants no doubt you can find all kinds of etnic cuisines in the US yet i noticed if you want the same quality as in Europe, you need to pay a lot.

European movies are maybe too socially engaged (however that are the ones reaching the US, we have French movies more stupid than average hollywood b-movies), but on the other hand what we are missing (luckily) is that ******** heroic attitude of "the good guy against the evil one" and that hypocrit moral endings that makes many american movies ennoying (and you will always know how they will end). Our movies don't pretend to make a moral judging, just exposing the problem is enough.
(however French movy can be loaded with violence and sex too, if you ever have the chance rend "baise-moi")
I really wonder how guys with a rightwing attitude are dealing with socially engaged movies as Il Postino.
I never really believed in cultural boycotts, not even of south Africa or Israel, it will only result in more isolation of foreign influences and more isolationism and extremism.

[cerulean]

At this time, I cannot prove or disprove the relative costs of fine dining in the US vs. France. I plan to undertake this research at the earliest possible opportunity, however, and present the results in a tabulated format. (If I decide to boycott France, somewhere else will have to do.)

At any rate, Jewish leaders in France oppose the calls for a boycott. However, it's not because they are not concerned.

http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=French+Jewish+leade rs+don%92t+want+to+offend&intcategoryid=3

Quote from the article:

French Jewish leaders are afraid of offending the majority, Cukierman said, because unlike in the United States, which is a nation of immigrants, “if you are French and something else you are attacked for not being purely French.”

=========

It's an unfortunate attitude, since of course many of the best artists and scientists in France have not been French. (Frederic Chopin, Marie Curie, Samuel Beckett, off the top of my head)

[takeo]

what is the link with jewish aid to kosovo?

No, in france as in the US, is a state where immigrants played an important role, yet here we consider Jews to be part of the french sciety, we don't say Italian-french, russian-french or jewish-french or Arab-french, all are French and pretty much integrated. Any insult on our country is tHUS an insult to all French, from whatever origin.

[cerulean]

The link is not being parsed correctly by the software, I don't think, because it contains some unusual characters for a URL. Here is another try:

www.jta.org/page_print_story.asp?intarticleid=11296&intcategoryid=3

[Mediocrates]

they both work - it is simply removing some of the display of the middle characters for length's sake

[Mediocrates]

"At this time, I cannot prove or disprove the relative costs of fine dining in the US vs. France. I plan to undertake this research at the earliest possible opportunity"


The proper way to cook beef in France is to hold the raw beef in one hand and a cigarette lighter in the other, preferably a Zippo. Flick the lighter and wave the beef over the lighter 8 times. Ask for it any more cooked than that and they will call you a barbarian. And remember - no civilized person eats before 10pm (22:00). And don't ever EVER ask for ketchup.

[cerulean]

Originally posted by Mediocrates

The proper way to cook beef in France is to hold the raw beef in one hand and a cigarette lighter in the other, preferably a Zippo. Flick the lighter and wave the beef over the lighter 8 times. Ask for it any more cooked than that and they will call you a barbarian. And remember - no civilized person eats before 10pm (22:00). And don't ever EVER ask for ketchup.

LOL - this is the type of tip one never reads in books. However, I'm enough of a vegetarian (even if not perfect) to foreswear this delightful dish.

The boycott issue is difficult for me. Extend the principle far enough and at least some major goods-producing corporations are sure to be on the list. And, as mentioned elsewhere, Arab oil purchases in the US certainly fund terrorism.

However, at least raising the possibility of a boycott, as has been done by this group in respect to Cannes, can produce awareness of the issue.

[Mediocrates]

Every time my neighbor tanks up his 9mpg Escalade, the terrorists have won.

[Vic]

Originally posted by Leviathan
Many wonderful things come from Europe; spelling apparently is not one of them.
As opposed to the average American's admirable command of French, German and Italian, you mean?
:-)

[takeo]

"Every time my neighbor tanks up his 9mpg Escalade, the terrorists have won."

OK, every time i eat one of those juicy mediterranean "sharon"-fruits (really, that's the name!!!) i adore, i support fascism and occupation, :(

"The proper way to cook beef in France is to hold the raw beef in one hand and a cigarette lighter in the other, preferably a Zippo. Flick the lighter and wave the beef over the lighter 8 times. Ask for it any more cooked than that and they will call you a barbarian. And remember - no civilized person eats before 10pm (22:00). And don't ever EVER ask for ketchup."

LOL, yeah we prefere to see where the meat comes from instead of plastified genetically modified shoesoles as what they call beef in the US. few french are veggies. Americans even eat ketchup as breakfast, yah!!!! We also like to take our time to prepare and eat food, yet the average cuantity of kilo per person in france is somewhat half of in the US...

[sitruc37diesel]

Originally posted by takeo


"The proper way to cook beef in France is to hold the raw beef in one hand and a cigarette lighter in the other, preferably a Zippo. Flick the lighter and wave the beef over the lighter 8 times. Ask for it any more cooked than that and they will call you a barbarian. And remember - no civilized person eats before 10pm (22:00). And don't ever EVER ask for ketchup."

LOL, yeah we prefere to see where the meat comes from instead of plastified genetically modified shoesoles as what they call beef in the US. few french are veggies. Americans even eat ketchup as breakfast, yah!!!! We also like to take our time to prepare and eat food, yet the average cuantity of kilo per person in france is somewhat half of in the US...

You're making me hungry. I like my steak red enough I can hear it moo.

[cerulean]

Woody Allen likens Jewish Cannes boycott to Nazis

http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=4&cat=0805&id=0205151638270061

This is from the ticker that appears in my AIM window. I hate that this is probably the only exposure to the problem of Jews in France that people are likely to pay attention to.

Unfortunately (or not), I had no plans to see Woody Allen's latest movie, so I can hardly boycott him.

[takeo]

I always tought Woody Allen belonged to the 5% of intelligent Americans, I was right.

[cerulean]

I think Woody Allen was speaking truthfully about his own experiences. I was just worried he was discounting others.

In any event, the winner of the Palme d'Or was Roman Polanski's film, "The Pianist," which is about a pianist who escapes the Warsaw Ghetto. I haven't seen it. No doubt it's an excellent movie. Whether or not the surrounding controversy had anything to do with the selection, who can say.

Article about the awards:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/26/cannes.awards.ap/index.html

[takeo]

it is another indication of France's intrinsic and hardcore anti-semitism, as well as the fact that french voters gave 12 points (as only country, the maximum) to the israeli song at eurovision songfestival...

[Vic]

Originally posted by takeo
I always tought Woody Allen belonged to the 5% of intelligent Americans, I was right.
Could you give the percentage of intelligent Frenchmen for a comparison? Just curious ;)

[takeo]

for sure more than 5 percent :D
(however if it can be a comfort the percentage intelligent R ussians is even higher) :p