Wendy Sachs caught an ideal storm on digital camera with “October 8.”
The documentary exhibits the surprising spike in antisemitism within the wake of the October 7 terrorist assaults that killed greater than 1,200 Israelis and captured lots of extra.
- Professional-Hamas protests
- Virulent social media posts
- Mainstream media bias on steroids
The apolitical movie, out there on VOD platforms, doesn’t litigate the Israel/Palestinian battle, the present state of Gaza and even the enduring hostage disaster.
That’s by design, Sachs tells Hollywood in Toto. Her objective was to chronicle antisemitism by way of an American lens, and the movie does so with heartbreaking outcomes.
“The theme of the movie is, how did we get to this second the place Hamas is being celebrated as freedom fighters and never condemned as terrorists,” the writer and filmmaker says. “It’s Islamic Jihadism vs. democracy within the West. That’s what’s at stake.”
“October 8” had a restricted theatrical launch beginning March 14, by no means reaching greater than 127 theaters nationwide. It nonetheless generated an spectacular $1.3 million, a sum most documentaries by no means earn.
Choose critics have referred to as the movie “propaganda,” decrying the shortage of voices from the pro-Palestinian motion. She notes that “No Different Land,” a movie advised from the Palestinian perspective, didn’t interview Israelis on the decades-old debate.
That movie received the Greatest Documentary Oscar earlier this 12 months.
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Sachs has been taking “October 8” across the globe, displaying it to governmental leaders and organizational heads in nations like Australia, Canada and Mexico. That effort will proceed by way of the approaching months.
When she first approached the topic, she assumed it will be a “layup” to snag funding and distribution. The subject material couldn’t be extra pressing, and she or he introduced sizable abilities to the title.
Sach beforehand directed “Surge,” a 2020 Showtime documentary chronicling three progressive politicians operating within the wake of President Donald Trump’s 2016 victory. She additionally labored at CNN, FOX and MSNBC, bolstering her resume.
Her “layup” hit the rim and bounced out of bounds.
The protests on school campuses across the nation have been pro-terror. They weren’t pro-peace.
October 8 is enjoying in theaters nationwide. pic.twitter.com/pc7jj0VCGC
— October 8 (@october8thefilm) March 31, 2025
Documentaries are struggling to achieve the plenty in recent times. That wasn’t the one hurdle dealing with “October 8.” The subject material proved “radioactive” inside Hollywood, she says.
Her former employers balked on the mission. So did main businesses in Tinsel City like United Expertise Company (UTA) and William Morris, in keeping with Sachs.
“Individuals have been supportive, saying, ‘That is actually vital, and it’s nice you’re doing this, however we are able to’t promote it. There’s no marketplace for this. The streamers aren’t going to the touch this,’” she recollects. “That was typically the local weather.”
Sachs understands, however solely to a level.
“It’s a really delicate topic … they’re afraid of shedding subscribers, of being protested,” she says, heaping reward on Briarcliff Leisure for ultimately choosing up the movie. The identical indie studio gave us final 12 months’s controversial movie, “The Apprentice.”
A few of these fears have been justified. She says protests routinely greeted her movie, a topic the Mainstream Media largely ignored.
“You don’t see these protests taking place on the Palestinian movies,” she says. “You don’t see the Jewish neighborhood protesting ’No Different Land.’ No demise threats, no counter-terrorism alerts.”
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She says the New York Police Division’s counter-terrorism unit detected on-line chatter about “October 8” protests when the movie performed within the Huge Apple. She attended the screening in query with a safety element to make sure her security.
Some theaters used steel detectors to guard patrons, she provides.
“I can’t think about that ‘No Different Land’ has a line merchandise of their price range for steel detectors,” she says. “And it’s not talked about … it’s the elephant within the room to speak about that. You’re thought-about a racist or an Islamophobe.”
She attended a Montreal screening of the movie and safety officers steered she enter the constructing through the basement, simply to be secure.
All this over an apolitical film highlighting rampant bigotry.
Even discussing the mission impressed Cancel Tradition-style assaults. Sachs recollects showing on a Canadian speak present within the spirit of NBC’s “At this time.” Protesters demanded the journalist who interviewed her be fired for giving her a platform.
She says Professional-Israel activists and interfaith leaders stepped in, defending the interviewer in query.
“That’s occurred repeatedly,” Sachs notes.
Jewish artists are routinely protested and censored. Most not too long ago, actor/comic Michael Rapaport shared how his Alabama comedy look obtained canceled attributable to protests.
Jewish college students on school campuses are being focused and harassed for his or her id alone.
October 8 is enjoying in theaters and at house on demand. Watch Now: https://t.co/P06llYEwks@Tessa_Veksler pic.twitter.com/dUv5lba6b2
— October 8 (@october8thefilm) April 10, 2025
All of this partially explains why the artistic neighborhood – with exceptions like John Ondrasik, Debra Messing, Patricia Heaton and Rapaport – have been largely silent on these points. Messing helped produce “October 8” and each she and Rapaport seem within the movie.
“I’m not saying folks in Hollywood are antisemitic. They don’t need to take care of the noise on the opposite aspect… the complications, the harassment,” Sachs says.
The filmmaker refuses to surrender on the topic at hand. Her subsequent mission is “Poison Ivy,” an exposé of faculty antisemitism and the position international funding performs in it. She guarantees to indicate the receipts.
“It’s not simply restricted to universities,” she notes. “Public colleges have created this entire oppressor-oppressed binary, colonizers and colonizing [model] … it’s hijacking a younger technology.”
“October 8” is on the market now on VOD platforms like Amazon, Apple TV and Fandango at Residence.