Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford

Monday, May 4 at 6:30 PM
State

Film | Documentary | NR | 1h 8m | 2026
Part of the 2026 Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival

The film Sapiro v. Ford is a documentary that tells the riveting true story of Aaron Sapiro, a young Jewish lawyer who took on one of America's most powerful men--and most notorious antisemite--Henry Ford. In the 1920s, as Ford's anti-Jewish publications incited hatred across the nation, Sapiro filed an unprecedented libel suit, challenging the limits of hate speech long before such laws existed. The film features Ben Shenkman voicing the words of Aaron Sapiro and is presented in a way that both highlights Sapiro's words and illuminates the historical stakes of his confrontation with Ford. It serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring question of how societies can confront power, prejudice, and propaganda while upholding justice.