OFFICIAL SELECTION - San Francisco Jewish Film Festival | OFFICIAL SELECTION - Ann Arbor Film Festival
Antisemitism • American Fascism • Labor History • Henry Ford • Nativism • Xenophobia • Propaganda
Date of Completion: 2021 | Run Time: 58 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director, Producer, and Writer: Andy Kirshner | Choreographer: Debbie Williams | Henry Ford: John Lepard
The maker of the Model-T was a dealer in lies. In the 1920’s, Ford published a series of inflammatory articles in his weekly newspaper, The Dearborn Independent. Blaming Jews for everything from WWI and economic depression to short skirts and the corrupting influence of Jazz, Ford’s publications quickly spread around the world — and to Germany, where they became enormously popular. Adolf Hitler praised Ford as “the leader of our fascist movement in America,” and awarded him a medal. Manufacturing Hate investigates the iconic automaker’s often sanitized place in American History, and reveals disturbing parallels between the Age of Ford, and our world today. A carefully researched combination of historical fact and poetic imagining, this innovative documentary-drama seeks out the roots of the present in the past.
University of Michigan | Deborah Dash Moore, Huetwell Professor of History
“Students in my course on the History of American Jews found the film riveting. They had never heard about Henry Ford’s antisemitism.”
University of Kansas | Samuel Hayim Brody, Department of Religious Studies
“A discussion starter. It provokes conversation on issues of enduring relevance.”
Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor, MI | Amy Vail, English and Humanities Teacher
“Having Andy Kirshner speak to my Humanities students was one of the year’s highlights. The film and talk pushed my students to so many thoughtful questions.”
Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership | Camille Brown, Assistant Director of Public Programs
“An extraordinary work of art and an invaluable teaching tool.”
Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, South Orange, NJ | Tracy Horwitz, LSW, Program Director
“Andy Kirshner is a very dynamic speaker. People felt positively about the whole experience.”
Historical Society of Michigan | Robert Myers, Director of History Programming
“It drew one of our largest audiences of the year. Attendees praised it as entertaining, insightful, and thought-provoking.”
JCRC/AJC Detroit | Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Executive Director
“This film will shake you and stir you and even make you self-reflect.”
Jewish Historical Society of Michigan | Catherine Cangany, PhD, Executive Director
“A candid appraisal of the past, with clear relevance for today. It was a popular event which has resonated and stayed with our audience.”