Iran screens Gaza film on Anne Frank
A documentary featuring young Palestinian women get introduced to the story of Anne Frank was given a secret screening in Iran; Ayatollah Khamenei, who leads Iran, has long denied the Holocaust ever took place; earlier this year, Iran declared a Holocaust denying caricature contest on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"Anne Frank: Then and Now" was shot in Gaza, Ramallah and Jaffa during Operation Protective Edge. It features eight young Palestinian women and follows them as they learn about Frank's story. The film also incorporates excerpts from her diary.
The Iranian screening was kept secret to protect the safety of those who would view it. The film's director, Jacob Sedler, told the online magazine Deadline that he spoke to the film's Iranian audience. "We talked about the effect that art can have in today's world," he said, adding that "Toward the end, one of the students thanked me for 'teaching us something new.'" He said that he hopes the film will reach a wider audience in Iran. "Tell your friends about Anne Frank," he urged audience members. "Tell them about the Holocaust."
Khamenei's denial of the Holocaust has been well-documented: earlier this year, he published a video where he referred to the Holocaust by saying, "Even if this was indeed true, we have no idea how it happened." Two weeks before this year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, Iran declared the start of a caricature drawing contest under the theme of Holocaust denial.
