A photographer journeys to his grandfather’s former Polish shtetl in search of memories and how they are formed…and forgotten.
Synopsis
In the small Polish town of Ivansk, one word ignites a nationwide controversy. Most of Ivansk’s Jews were killed by the Nazis, and the headstones in the Jewish cemetery were plundered for by locals for building materials. 70 years later, a group of descendants of Ivansk’s Jews came to restore the town’s cemetery, retrieving what headstones they could find. When they commission a plaque that includes the word “collaborator,” a national scandal is unleashed. In light of the recent showdown between Israel and Poland, this eye-opening documentary is offers an initiation into a discussion about Polish-Jewish relations, opposing narratives of history, the politics of “memory” and the importance of building bridges in today’s climate.
Film Festivals
Toronto Jewish Film Festival–2017
Jewish Motif Festival, Warsaw Poland–2017
Nashville Jewish Film Festival–2017
Southampton Jewish Film Festival–2018
Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival-2018
Columbia Jewish Film Festival-2018
Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival–2019
Year
2017
Director:
David Blumenfeld, Ami Drozd
Watch the Trailer
Stills
