Where Are You Going?

Synopsis

Halina Birenbaum, Holocaust survivor and world renown writer, is joined for the first time by her son, Yacov Gilad, on her annual journey to Poland. Yacov, a famous Israeli songwriter, joins her with great trepidation. Despite being the one who brought Holocaust remembrance into popular culture through Israeli rock music via his lyrics for the album “Ashes & Dust,” he never joined her trips to Poland. His refraining to do so, was due to his tense relationship with her and his dread of falling apart emotionally. But now the time has come and Yacov embarks on a journey following Halina’s overwhelming path of survival. As they grow closer, Yacov is astonished to discover that his mother is a notable celebrity in Poland. Halina Birenbaum is a well-known and well-loved author in Poland, while in Israel, her country of residence, she is practically anonymous. Why has the Israeli establishment been ignoring his mother? The answer may lay in an old decrepit letter that she has kept for over 50 years. Following his emotional trip to Poland, Yacov continues his journey in Israel discovering how the politics of remembrance effects everything: from the Israeli establishment’s treatment of Holocaust survivors to Israeli-Polish relations.  

About the Director

Graduated Summa Cum Laude, June 1994; Undergraduate Honoree award by the faculty. BA in Broadcasting Arts from San Francisco State University. Eleven times nominee of the Israeli Academy Awards and winner of 2022 Best Documentary for the groundbreaking series, “Mental State”. Film & TV Director for almost 30 years, including over 20 documentary series, films and investigative docs. Director of “Magnificent Failure” – one hour documentary about Harold Rubin, artist and jazz musician who was tried for blasphemy in South Africa which opened the Centennial Celebration for Tel Aviv. Lecturer at the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University and International program Communication School, IDC. Mentor at the greenhouse doc-program for women – NFCT. 

Curator of The Poetry Film Program at the Epos International Film Festival. Recipient of the Co-Kisser Award for the poetry films “Robots”, “Avidan” and “Comes from Outside”. Judge at the Zebra Poetry Film Festival, Berlin 2016.  

Artistic Statement

I have always appreciated Yacov Gilad’s songs. His album, “Ashes and Dust”, with poetic lyrics about the trauma and memory of the Holocaust, touched me deeply as both my parents were born in Europe during the war and carry their own survival stories. Like Yacov, I’ve always feared the looming trauma and never set foot in Poland. So, when I learned that he overcame his fears and traveled with his mother, Halina, to the very places where she lost everything, I felt I was the one who needed to tell their story.  

This is Halina’s story, but Yacov leads the film with his vulnerability and mesmerizing voice. His poetic narration with the help of archival footage, navigates a complex story: going back and forth between Israel and Poland, from past to present, exposing his unresolved issues with his mother and diving deep into the question of the politics of remembrance. 

Festivals, Screenings, & Awards

–       Miami Jewish Film Festival

–       Warsaw Jewish Film Festival