American Radical: the Trials of Norman Finkelstein By David Ridgen & Nicolas Rossier

New York Theatrical Premiere Run!
American Radical is a probing, definitive documentary about American academic Norman Finkelstein. A devoted son of holocaust survivors, ardent critic of Israel and Us Middle-East policy, and author of five provocative books, including The Holocaust Industry, Finkelstein has been at the center of many intractable controversies. Called a lunatic and a self-hating Jew by some and an inspirational street-fighting revolutionary by others, Finkelstein is a deeply polarizing figure whose struggles arise from core questions about freedom, identity, and nationhood. From Beirut to Kyoto, Ridgen and Rossier follow Finkelstein around the world as he attempts to negotiate a voice among both supporters and critics, providing an intimate portrait of the man behind the controversy while giving equal time to both his critics and supporters.
"For us, Finkelstein is the consummate documentary subject: a complex firebrand, principled to the point of self-ruin, at the apex of several of the world's largest conflicts. A man who has never been asked to appear on mainstream American television, but who regularly appears - always creating controversy - in the international media. At once anti-hero, clown, and merciless scholar, Finkelstein creates as many storms as he enters. And to what end? When radicals collide, does it create understanding? Some would argue that it sometimes does. Others would claim that Finkelstein's principled but too often bitter advocacy does much to discredit the cause of a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Audiences can decide for themselves." -David Ridgen & Nicolas Rossier
"A powerful glimpse into the lonely path of a brilliant academic.... The filmmakers earnestly explore both Finkelstein's work and the criticisms his detractors level against him, letting audiences draw their own conclusions about this controversial figure." -Emily Ratner, Director of the New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival
"The film raises important questions about Norman's work and controversial path. It should be seen as the beginning of an exploration of some of the deeper issues facing Jews and Judaism in the 21st century." -Marc Ellis, Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Baylor University