It Used To Be a Great Flag

A personal search by award-winning Israeli director Yoav Shamir for better understanding of anti-Semitism will be the focus of It Used To Be A Great Flag. Filming will take Shamir from Israel to many parts of the world.

The filmmaker will attempt to deconstruct the concept of anti-Semitism in contemporary society by searching for its genesis, its effects and its face among ordinary individuals. The feature-length film will be shot in a hand-held cinema verité style, without archive or reconstructions. Shamir will film individuals convinced that they will be persecuted no matter what and individuals who believe that persecution of Jews no longer exists. The narrative will be propelled by individual stories from Jews and non-Jews, with experts on board to establish the big picture.

Shamir's focus: "When we are talking about anti-Semitism, what do we mean? What is anti-Semitism in a daily sense? Does it take different forms in different places? How serious is it? Is there a 'new anti-Semitism?' Is being an Israeli detachable from being a Jew?"

It Used To Be A Great Flag will journey through history, culture and philosophy. Opinions on anti-Semitism expressed by experts will be posed to the man in the street. The numerous shoot locations will create a mosaic of understanding, and, according to Shamir, "anti-Semitism will be examined in a genuine manner, bereft of all the mythology and mysticism that can obfuscate discussion." 

Is anti-Semitism on the rise or on the decline? With the U.S. now "secure", should resources be poured into other parts of the world - and if so, how? It Used to be a Great Flag will also explore the battle playing out among Jews: those who argue, as Abe Foxman, head of the ADL, does, that the stakes are so high that nothing can be taken for granted, or with those who see fear-mongering as a way to gain political clout and exert influence on policy.