Documentary Filmmaker Sues Jewish Nonprofit That Attempted to Cancel Film on Anti-Circumcision Movement
Boise, Idaho – Sept 6, 2023 – A high-profile lawsuit has been filed in Idaho over a smear campaign that aimed to silence a documentary on the anti-circumcision movement. Brendon Marotta, the filmmaker behind the 2017 Netflix-trending documentary, “American Circumcision,” is suing Bruchim, a Jewish nonprofit, claiming their founders engaged in malicious and deceptive actions to malign him and his work.
The lawsuit was officially filed on August 28, 2023 in Idaho, where Bruchim is headquartered. Marotta’s suit alleges that Bruchim’s founders engaged in a covert campaign involving secret meetings with activists and press to label him as a “white supremacist” and “antisemite,” with the goal of tarnishing the reputation of his film and preventing it from gaining traction.
Marotta, a vocal advocate for social justice issues who is married to a Native American woman, expressed his dismay at Bruchim’s claims against him. “The only reason they made an accusation this stupid is because they thought they’d never get caught.” Marotta has stated publicly that Bruchim’s founders made deliberate attempts to conceal their campaign, since they knew their false claims could result in legal action.
Bruchim’s founder, Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, produced a less-successful documentary on Jewish circumcision before Marotta’s film was released, making Ungar-Sargon a direct economic competitor to Marotta. “This is the least credible person they could have chosen for their smear campaign,” says Marotta. “It is unfortunate that those who speak up in defense of children endure such bad-faith attacks.”
Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, brother to Newsweek editor Batya Ungar-Sargon, has since publicly accused Marotta specifically (and the intactivist community generally) of white nationalism and antisemitism, claiming that the movement is full of “white, aggrieved men” who “have always been the bull’s eye for fascists.” As the legal process unfolds, it is expected that further details surrounding Bruchim’s activities will come to light.
For further information on this case including the full text of the lawsuit, or to request an interview with Brendon Marotta, please contact Brendon Marotta at press AT BrendonMarotta DOT com.
