What Matters Now to critic Jordan Hoffman: 5 films for Jews to follow at the Oscars

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with film critic Jordan Hoffman.

Ahead of the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday night, The Times of Israel’s film critic gives his predictions on which of the five films related to Israel or the Jews will have any chance of taking home a statue.

We hear about how the ongoing war in Gaza is creating off-screen drama for a film, “September 5,” that has nothing to do with the current conflict but dares to show Israel as a victim after the country’s athletes were massacred in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Hoffman weighs in on the merits of “A Real Pain” and pronounces it an excellent addition to the pantheon of Jewish film. About “The Brutalist,” he has some reservations, although he applauds the film overall.

We learn how the Bob Dylan biopic may not have anything really overtly Jewish about it, but that it’s not a slam to Members of the Tribe.

And finally, Hoffman discusses the Palestinian/Jewish Israeli co-production that is hardly a coexistence project, but rather a “From the River to the Sea” production.

And so this week, we ask Jordan Hoffman what matters now.

This conversation can also be viewed here:

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. 

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