Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – February 14, 2021 – Art & Celebrities
The award was a testament to the director’s active civic and social position.
The annual award marked Spielberg’s work in combating racial and national intolerance, as well as preserving and enhancing the historical memory of the Holocaust.
Renowned American film director and philanthropist Steven Spielberg, who is considered the most successful director of our time, won the annual Genesis Prize in 2021.
The award was a testament to the director’s active civic and social stance, his outstanding achievements in cinema, his principled struggle against anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, and his fruitful work to protect and preserve the historical memory of World War II, the Holocaust.
“The Genesis Prize celebrates Steven Spielberg’s unique talent, his commitment to making the world a better place, and the unique contribution he made to opening the eyes of the postwar generation to the horrors of the Holocaust,” said Stan Polovets, founder and chairman of the Genesis Foundation.
Steven Spielberg is known for his films that cover complex social issues, including racial and national intolerance, slavery, and the morality of war. Special achievement in Spielberg’s directing career was the film “Schindler’s List” (1993), which tells the story of the rescue of about 1,200 Jews by German industrialist Oscar Schindler during World War II. The film became an important milestone in the spread of the historical memory of the Holocaust.
For the first time in the selection of the prize winner, the general voting was of key importance. More than 200,000 Jews cast their ballots in choosing the current winner. Steven Spielberg received the most votes. The prize committee, which determines the final winner of the award, took this factor into account and gave the victory to Spielberg.
The Jewish Nobel Prize is awarded annually for professional achievements, contribution to the development of mankind, and commitment to Jewish values. The winner also receives a cash prize of $ 1 million.
Earlier, Genesis Prize winners were Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginzburg, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, human rights activist and chairman of the supervisory board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, and Nathan Scharansky.
Traditionally, the winners of the Genesis Prize donate a monetary reward to charity. Last year’s winner of the award, human rights activist Nathan Scharansky, directed funds to support individuals and organizations working to overcome the crisis caused by Covid-19 and prevent future pandemics.
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