On April 22, USC hosted a screening of “October 8” at the Norris Cinema Theatre. The film explores antisemitism at college campuses and on social media since October 7, 2023, the day Hamas attacked Israel. The screening was free and open to the public.
The showing at the School for Cinematic Arts comes amid ongoing tensions at USC and other universities across the country, where the Israel-Hamas war has caused protests, debates and concerns over rising antisemitism.
Last spring, pro-Palestinian student protestors at USC set up encampments after Israel’s military response to Hamas’ attacks. The protests caused dozens of student and faculty arrests.
On April 25, the Los Angeles city attorney declined to file criminal charges on most arrests of USC protestors. Two USC students were referred to a city attorney hearing.
After the screening, the film’s producer, Inbal B. Lessner, hosted a Q&A session allowing attendees to further engage with the screening.
The film followed students from different universities, like UC Santa Barbara and MIT, and showed how they have been impacted by antisemitism on their campuses. The film also explored how Israeli citizens were affected by the Hamas attack and the devastation they experienced.
The imagery, which showed Israelis shot and their homes destroyed, elicited a mix of emotions from the crowd. Some people gasped, while other audience members stayed silent.
Noah Razak, a freshman biology major, was living in New York last year when protests broke out at Columbia University and other nearby colleges. He said he often felt like his voice wasn’t being heard, which is why he is appreciative of USC’s decision to screen “October 8.”
“I’m lucky to go to a school like this where they will screen a movie that is pro-Israel and documents a lot of the hate and antisemitism that’s been ongoing,” Razak said.
Less than half of the theater was full during the screening, and even Razak pointed out during the Q&A that many of the seats were empty.
Other students said they watched the film as a learning opportunity. Adam Friedberg, a sophomore political science major, said his family members advised him to go to the screening.
“My family saw the movie and told me to go see it to learn more about the topic, which is obviously very prescient and heavy,” Friedberg said.
Andrew T., who asked to omit his last name out of concern for his career, is a senior who was screened for the film. He came out to support the movie, and said it was not only a powerful educational experience, but also a chance to learn more about the filmmaking process.
“There’s also a really important aspect about educating students, and educating them about the real world,” he said. “I think this film highlights the antisemitism that a lot of people have brushed under the rug this past year.”