Selma Blair Announces New Documentary 'Hineni' Focusing on Antisemitism
Actress Selma Blair announced she is directing a documentary titled Hineni about antisemitism, stemming from her 2024 social media controversy and subsequent industry backlash.
Actress Selma Blair announced on Thursday that she is working on a documentary film titled Hineni (Here I Am), focusing on antisemitism. She made the announcement at the launch event of the Anti-Defamation League's State of the Arts research database in New York. According to Blair, the project was born following her apology more than two years ago for social media remarks she published after October 7.
"Two years ago, I learned what it feels like to be erased, and I decided that the opposite of being erased is to create something. So I am making a movie," Blair said at the event. "The last time I put cameras on, it was on my body," she added, referencing the documentary that followed her battle with multiple sclerosis. "This time it is about my people. It is a documentary about antisemitism, and how confusing and complicated it is because nobody wants to talk about geopolitics, yet it is completely intertwined. I wanted to make it for the people who are not in this room."
The Meaning Behind Hineni
Blair noted that the film is titled Hineni—Hebrew for "Here I am." What she could not say properly two years ago, she is now expressing with a camera crew behind her. She shared that the production travels to Israel so that people can witness firsthand why the land is not an abstract concept for the Jewish community. The film also features recorded conversations with individuals who disagree with her viewpoints, noting that one does not change minds solely by speaking with those who already agree.
"You do not change your mind just when you talk to people who already agree with you," Selma Blair stated regarding her approach to dialogue in the documentary.
The Aftermath and Cancellations
The controversy stems from a comment Blair published in February 2024, reacting to U.S. Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib. Blair wrote at the time: "Thank you. Deport all these terrorist supporting thugs. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroy minds. They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate." At the New York event, Blair addressed that post directly.
"It hurt people, and I apologized immediately. No conditions, no fine print. I meant it then and I mean it now, and I am leaving the comment there, because the comment was not the story," she said, describing how quickly her professional and personal life unraveled following the post, with brands, agents, publicists, and even long-time friends severing ties.
Blair, a Jewish-American actress known for her roles in films such as Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, and Hellboy, also starred last year in Doron Eran's film Be Strong, which explores the tragic story of Alon Shamriz, Yotam Haim, and Samer Talalka, who were abducted on October 7, managed to escape Hamas captivity, and were mistakenly killed by an IDF force in the Gaza Strip.
