Film & DocumentaryAugust 20, 2021 • View in browserSupport Independent JournalismHyperallergic is made possible through member support. Become a member and help us continue to publish the art stories that matter. Visit the Beautifully Bizarre Cryptozoo, a Sanctuary for Mythological CreaturesMarried creative duo Dash Shaw and Jane Samborski collaborated on the vivid adult animated feature. | Joe Hogan SPONSORED JAPAN CUTS, a Festival of New Japanese Film, Opens August 20North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema streams online throughout the US with screenings in-person at Japan Society from August 20–September 2. Learn more. The Three Versions of The Jazz Singer and the Sinister Bargain of Jewish WhitenessFor scholars, weighing the context of the classic film’s use of blackface is a valuable thought exercise. For a Jew, it is an exorcism. | Caroline Golum How Ashley O’Shay Uplifts Black Female Activists Without Deifying ThemAshley O’Shay tells Hyperallergic how she spent over four years within Chicago’s movement for Black lives making the documentary. | Kyndall Cunningham How the Myth of Barack Obama Overtook the Man (and the Politician)A new HBO film introduces a level of nuance to its depiction of the president that’s been sorely lacking in most portrayals. | Justine Smith Inside The Viewing Booth, an Israel Supporter Reacts to Videos of the OccupationRa’anan Alexandrowicz’s documentary studies in real time how people rationalize and interpret the media they encounter. | Dan Schindel |