Page - 149 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

from above (fig. 9) are exchanged with settings that zoom in to the speaker or to a single person or group within the audience (fig. 10 and 11). The shots often con- centrate on VIPs like Kushner, Ivanka Trump or Netanyahu. The switching between speaker and audience suggests a dialogue between them or their interaction. The viewer of the event on a screen sees both the speakers close up, with each speak- er’s demeanor discernible, and the behavior of the audience at the event, for ex- ample whether they applaud. Thus, these viewers see people in large numbers, stressing the importance of the event, as well as close-ups of individuals within the audience. With the mood on site transported to this distant audience, the latter can empathize with the emotions of the local audience. They feel as if they are partici- pating in the event, as if they are part of the ritual. The settings also change, with views from above providing an overview and views from within the audience giving the impression that the viewer is amongst the guests. The Religio-Political Legitimization of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital At the rhetorical level, a dense network of religious legitimations of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is produced, with many references to Jewish and Christian tra- ditions. The religious references are found both in quotations from the Bible and in the narratives of the argumentation. Jerusalem is constructed as sacred space and the actors and the event are superelevated by religious conceptualizations of space that focus on the heavenly Jerusalem as well as by the emphasis on American ex- ceptionalism and Jewish particularism. The alliance of the United States and Israel and the event of the opening ceremony itself are conveyed as beneficial. At the performative level, the ceremony is staged as (religious) ritual in the speeches given by religious figures, the timing of these speeches during the event and the repeated requests for God’s blessing. The music and choice of songs and singer bolster the message. Furthermore, the ceremony overall is endowed with particular meaning by the highly symbolical choice of space and time. In sum, the performative level sees the event superelevated and given “holy” status. At the level of medial representation, the play between closeness and distance involves the distant viewer, who then feels more like a participant. Close-up shots bring an emotional component, for they provide access to the responses of individuals with- in the audience. How do these elements relate to the theoretical framework set out at the start of this article? With their respective religious ideas, the actors (the United States 148 | Hannah Griese www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 127–151