FILMS

In 1942 the Nazi propaganda machine was hard at work making movies. This is the remarkable true story about an unfinished Nazi film, four reels of which were discovered after the war. The silent film was an attempt to paint an idyllic picture of life within the Warsaw Ghetto, where some 440,000 Polish Jews awaited deportation. Carefully staged and cast, it shows Jewish "families" – in fact played by actors – living a life of luxury and comfort, with no suggestion of the fate looming for the actual residents of the ghetto. In this fascinating documentary, director Yael Hersonski exposes cinematic manipulation and explores the idea of watching. To this end, she invited five survivors of that ghetto to view the original footage and filmed their reactions. Hersonski’s film is a brilliant reminder of the importance of bearing witness.