“October 8” is a new documentary that explores the rise of antisemitism after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, including its impact on college campuses, social media, and in the public discourse. Essentially, it is an examination of the battle between good and evil that is playing out in the public square.
After visiting her daughter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on October 7, watching the nightmare unfold in real time, Director Wendy Sachs experienced a déjà vu of the generational trauma her family had been exposed to. On October 8, while Israel was still counting the murdered, mutilated, and kidnapped civilians, jubilation broke out around the world, including in New York’s Times Square and on college campuses, where professors spoke of feeling “exhilarated and energized” by the massacre in Israel.
“I felt the horror at the cellular level,” Wendy recalled. “The silence of Hollywood, the silence of women’s organizations, and the silence of Progressive spaces where most Jews, including myself, feel comfortable, left many of us feeling abandoned.”
Thirty-four student groups at Harvard signed a letter saying that Israel was “entirely responsible” for the massacre, and by the end of October, Wendy knew she had to document what was transpiring through the American-Jewish lens. For ten months, she filmed the discord on college campuses, including Columbia University, Cornell, MIT, and UC Santa Barbara. She also filmed in Israel, London, and across the United States. She conducted more than 80 interviews with college students, survivors from the kibbutzim, celebrities including Debra Messing and Michael Rapaport, Congressman Ritchie Torres, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and such high-profile individuals as Sheryl Sandberg, Scott Galloway, Mosab Yousef (the son of Hamas’s founder), Bari Weiss, Douglas Murray, and Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt.
She interviewed journalists, academics, social media experts, students, and individuals across the political spectrum. “I’ve poured my entire life into this project and while I’ve done plenty of interesting and important work in my career that I believed was consequential at the time, nothing is as urgent, as existential, and as personal as making this film,” Sachs shared.
Ms. Sachs brings a wealth of storytelling experience to “October 8.” An award-winning filmmaker, author, and media strategist, she directed “Surge” (2020), which chronicled the historic 2018 midterm elections when a record number of first-time female candidates ran for Congress seeking to flip their red district to blue. She also directed “Land of the Giants: Titans of Tech,” which delved into the complex stories of global tech powerhouses like Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Netflix, exploring their rise to dominance and the challenges they face today. Sachs also produced the documentary “Gen Z” of the “My Generation” series that aired on MSNBC in October 2024.
“October 8” offers a searing look at the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses, social media, and around America that began the day after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th. The film unpacks the pivotal moment when Hamas became glorified as “freedom fighters” at American universities rather than vilified as terrorists.
Sachs shows how over decades, Hamas created sophisticated networks in America to permeate U.S. institutions, and she examines the insidious spread of online propaganda and disinformation unleashed by Iran, China, and Russia, with the sole purpose of wreaking havoc on American society.
The film is fascinating, emotive, and disturbing as it sheds light on a growing global malignancy, and is strengthened by a large cast of talking heads, including well known figures in academics, journalism, leaders of Jewish organizations, and those who monitor extremism.
More emotional and personal testimony comes from a survivor of the massacre, as well as from Jewish students in universities throughout the United States, who have been violently attacked and intimidated in the aftermath of October 7th. Also featured are Hollywood celebrities like Debra Messing (who co-produced the film) and Michael Rapaport, who are passionate supporters of Israel and fervent in their demand that all the hostages be released. Indeed, Rapaport finds it strange that he is one of the top-billed celebrity speakers at a rally urging the release of the hostages. Moreover, they are appalled by the film industry’s shocking silence regarding the massacre of October 7, except for a few lone voices such as Messing, Rapaport, David Schwimmer, and Juliana Margulies, who are among the minority of intrepid individuals who are now shunned by former friends and colleagues in retribution for expressing their steadfast support of Israel.
“To be clear, this is not a ‘Jewish’ film nor intended only for Jewish audiences,” Wendy noted. “This film is not political, either. We are not litigating the war in Israel and Gaza or advocating that anyone be denied their land or statehood. This film is for global audiences.
“It has been edited not to be preachy, but to unpack how we got to this moment where Hamas is celebrated as freedom fighters rather than as terrorists and how calls for a global intifada have swept college campuses. We learn how social media has been hijacked by foreign forces (Russia, Iran, and China) seeking to disrupt American democracy, sow disinformation, and ultimately divide us. This story is much bigger than Jews or the State of Israel. This is about democracy and the future of our children. As antisemitism rises to extraordinary levels, there is an urgency to tell this story and it’s much bigger than any one of us. As Congressman Ritchie Torres said, ‘This is about humanity and who we are as a country, and the fight for the soul of America.’”
“October 8” is a must-see experience, a film about the fight for the soul of mankind. “October 8” is now playing in theaters and is available to rent on several streaming services.
Rochelle Maruch Miller is a contributing editor for the Five Towns Jewish Times. She is a journalist, creative media strategist, lecturer, educator, and writes for magazines, newspapers, websites, and private clients. She welcomes your comments at RochelleMiller04@aol.com. Read more of Rochelle Maruch Miller’s articles at 5TJT.com.
