Steven Spielberg says antisemitism ‘on the rise’ – as new film The Fabelmans shows prejudice he faced as a teen
Steven Spielberg’s cultural impact is unmatched – from Jaws to Jurassic Park, his films have imprinted on generation after generation for 50 years.
His new movie, The Fabelmans, tells the story of the childhood that shaped the most iconic director of our time.
As well as being a family drama, it portrays the antisemitic abuse the young Spielberg faced.
Speaking at the UK premiere of the film, he told Sky News it is an issue that is not going anywhere.
“It has been a problem worldwide because it is certainly a systemic problem in all societies, not just in our country or even here in the UK,” Spielberg, 76, said.
“But antisemitism has been steadily on the rise, I think, since 2015.
“And there’s been a lot of evidence that this isn’t going away any time soon, and that’s frightening.”
The Fabelmans is already a critical hit, winning best drama and best director at last week’s Golden Globes, and is tipped to be on the Bafta and Oscar shortlists.
But it’s a different story at the box office where it has taken £16m so far, only half its £32m budget.
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Pic: Amblin Entertainment/Universal Studios
Spielberg is open about what he perceives to be the issue with audiences: “I don’t feel that I’ve really communicated the fact that I made a superhero movie,” he laughed.
“I think if I told people I had made a superhero movie – the superheroes being my mom and my dad – we would have done much better at the box office in the States.
“We hope we’re going to fare better in the UK having now said to all of you: This is a superhero movie.”
‘I’ve never made a film like this before’
Audiences may feel they know Spielberg, but he says it is only now with The Fabelmans that he is finally showing his truth on screen.
“A lot of people feel they know me because they see my movies and they think they know me through my films, but they don’t know me in any other iteration – as, by the way, I don’t know myself in so many other iterations,” he said.
“When I make a movie, I kind of live the experience of that story, and I have to research and I have to learn a lot about it, but it’s not often reflective of who I am.”
Michelle Williams and Paul Dano star as Spielberg’s parents in the movie. Pic: Universal Pictures
Gabriel LaBelle and Chloe East are also in the cast. Pic: Universal Pictures
He continued: “It reflects what I’m interested in, what my passions are, but this is the first time I ever made a film that was about things that had actually happened to myself, my three sisters and my mom and my dad.”
With that honesty comes some emotional moments, as the family home, even his parents as he remembers them from childhood, are reproduced on set.
“I’ve never made a film like this before,” Spielberg said.
“Nor have I had an experience making a film that has been so emotionally – now, Schindler’s List was maybe the most emotionally draining experience of my career – but in terms of family and personal reflections and actually shooting a movie in a house that was a facsimile of the home I grew up in, in Arizona, nothing, nothing can challenge that.”
The Fabelmans is out in cinemas in the UK on 27 January.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
Entertainment
Robin Kaye: American Idol TV executive and her husband shot dead inside their Los Angeles home
An American Idol TV executive and her husband have been found dead in their LA home.
Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the long-running reality TV series.
The bodies of the 70-year-old and her husband Thomas were discovered after officers conducted a welfare check at their home.
Both had died from gunshot wounds.
Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook
Detectives say Raymond Boodarian has been arrested in connection with their deaths.
It is alleged the 22-year-old had burgled their property while they were away on 10 July – killing the couple upon their return.
According to Los Angeles Police, there were “no signs of forced entry or trouble” at the property.
Ms Kaye was an industry veteran – and had previously worked on shows including Lip Sync Battle and The Singing Bee, as well as several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
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Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles
In a statement, an American Idol spokesperson said: “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her.
“Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Entertainment
Action taken to stop ticketless Oasis fans from watching this week’s shows in Manchester
Huge steel fences have been erected to prevent ticketless fans from watching the Oasis reunion tour in Manchester.
Liam and Noel Gallagher will resume their sold-out run of shows – their first since 2009 – with a performance at Heaton Park tonight, and two more on Saturday and Sunday.
While tens of thousands bought tickets for Oasis’s first two shows last weekend, crowds gathered to glimpse the large screens above the stage in the distance – in an area dubbed “Gallagher Hill” by some on social media.
People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. Reuters file pic
Manchester City Council has now said more steel fences have been erected around parts of the park to prevent ticketless fans from watching the gigs, and to protect nature in the park.
“After taking stock of how the first two nights went, additional measures have now been deemed necessary and will be in place for the next three concerts,” it said.
“The erection of the fencing has a dual purpose – both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there.
“The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”
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Friday: Excited fans at Oasis homecoming gig
The fences will cover a large area of the hill within the park’s cattle field, which is being developed as a new woodland area with around 300 young trees planted.
The council added that there would be no facilities for people without a ticket, and said the event area is “double-walled with solid high security fencing all the way round”.
More than 2,000 event security staff and police officers will also be on duty around the site “to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of ticket-holders and that only those who have tickets access the concert”, it said.
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John Hacking, the council’s executive member for employment, skills and leisure, also said in a statement that “unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place”.
He added: “Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.
“The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.
“We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy, whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”
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