The Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival will host a virtual panel on August 7, 2026, at 7 p.m., centered on the documentary “Imaginary Witness.” The discussion will feature filmmaker Daniel Anker and actor Gene Hackman and will examine Hollywood’s depiction of the Holocaust.
The annual Saratoga event celebrates Jewish heritage through music, visual art, food and a series of educational sessions. In recent years the festival has added film screenings, scholarly talks and workshops to broaden public understanding of Jewish history and culture.
The panel will be streamed online and hosted on the festival’s website, allowing participants to join from any location with internet access. Viewers will be able to submit questions in real time, creating an interactive dialogue with the presenters.
The conversation aims to explore how cinematic portrayals influence collective memory of the Holocaust and to consider the artistic choices behind “Imaginary Witness.” By bringing together a director and a veteran actor, the panel seeks to address both the documentary’s narrative approach and broader trends in Hollywood storytelling about the genocide.
The discussion is part of the festival’s educational programming, which is intended to deepen community awareness of historical events and to foster critical examination of media representations. Similar sessions in previous editions have covered topics such as Jewish diaspora experiences and the role of film in preserving memory. The festival regularly collaborates with scholars, filmmakers and community leaders to ensure that presentations reflect current research and survivor testimony.
Anyone interested can register through the Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival’s online portal, where further information about the panel schedule and the documentary is available.