Victims of Andrew Jarecki’s Film Ask Academy To Reconsider

When Andrew Jarecki’s controversial film, Capturing The Friedmans, was nominated for an Oscar,  victims of the film spoke out, writing a letter Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Andrew Jarecki’s portrayed the victims in his film as if they had invented their stories to satisfy an overzealous Nassau County police force.

According to the New York Times, the letter stated:

”We did not lie. We did not exaggerate. We were never hypnotized to tell our stories.” They said the director had twisted the facts in the film to make it appear that they had.

If the film wins an Oscar, they wrote, ”it will be won at the expense of silencing the plaintive voices of abused children once again, just as our own voices were silenced 16 years ago by the threats and intimidation of our tormentors.”

One of the victims who helped write the letter to the academy, also wrote a letter to the judge who presided over the case:

”This director’s [Andrew Jarecki] cause is wrong and his purpose is self-serving at my expense as well as at the expense of other victims.” 

Read the full letter on the Leadership Council website.  The Leadership council website is a resource of psychologists who specialize in child molestation.  The council has found fault with Andrew Jarecki’s film, and the manipulative tactics he used to create more ambiguity in his film, in hopes to make more money off his film.

Deconstructing The Ambiguity Created By Andrew Jarecki’s Film

The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence is committed to protecting children and supporting responsible research and information on child abuse.  An analysis of the documentary “Capturing The Friedmans” conducted by The Leadership Council, reveals the tactics used by film director Andrew Jarecki, in order to create ambiguity in his film.
In his documentary, Andrew Jarecki is able to manipulate his audience with the tactics he used during production and editing process of the film.  The Leadership Council stated:

“Jarecki’s documentary creatively interweaves recent interviews with home movies shot by the older Friedman brother as the events were unfolding. The effect is a complex story where truth appears ever elusive. Many viewers leave the theater believing that they have seen an objective documentary presented by a director who entrusted audiences to draw their own conclusions on Arnold Friedman’s and Jesse Friedman’s guilt. A careful review of the original evidence, however, shows that the case against the Friedmans was much stronger than the film revealed.”

Jarecki accomplished this through omitting reference to some of the most damning evidence and by promoting common myths about child sexual abuse.  Andrew Jarecki’s work promotes social acceptance of those myths by silencing victims which shows disregard the pain and suffering faced by the victims and victims families.

The Leadership Council On Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence

It is important to educate the public on the issues of these crimes against children.  Additionally, it is important ensure the public has access to accurate information, not myths, regarding child abuse and other forms of interpersonal violence.  The Andrew Jarecki Lies Facebook Page works to provide accurate information regarding the truth about Andrew Jarecki and exposing his controversial tactics.

For additional research, visit The Leadership Council website.