Washington D.C., Oct 12, 2003 / 22:00 pm
A Jewish American screenwriter and filmmaker said Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion, is not anti-Semitic and “will not create a single bigot or anti-Semite. It may, however, reveal them.”
“As a Jew, I left the movie feeling a greater sense of kinship and closeness to my Christian brothers and sisters than I ever thought imaginable,” wrote Alan Sereboff in a letter to Gibson, one month after viewing the film.
Gibson’s film on the last 12 hours of Christ has received scathing reviews from some watchdog groups and media outlets, stating that the film portrays Jewish people in a negative light. The film is expected to be released in theatres next year.
“I believe you have made one of the most breathtaking, poignant movies of our time. I cannot recall a film that has had such a profound effect on my understanding of history, religion and, perhaps most importantly, what we as human beings are capable of in relation to our treatment of one another,” wrote Sereboff, who has worked for Gibson’s Icon Productions.