The Rhine Flows to the Mediterranean Sea

dir. Offer Avnon / 2021 / Israel / 95min.
In associative montages of images and conversations with people in Germany, Poland and ultimately in Israel, this film explores persistent traumas and attempts at reconciliation

“Is there something to learn from the Shoah?” As a son of an authoritarian Holocaust survivor and as an individual who chose to emigrate to Germany, I search after the cognitive presence of the Holocaust and its possible influence on us. The interview segments are a textual frame for the images, which develop a certain autonomy. The subjective character of the film derives from the strong bond between us and our story; needless to mention that we are traumatized. This theme, personal and emotional as it is, holds a substantial political significance, and it takes a clearer place as the film progresses, and the scenery changes from Germany and Poland, towards my hometown Haifa, where Jews and Arabs live side by side.

duration:
95 min
country / year of production:
Israel / 2021
director:
Offer Avnon
cinematography:
Offer Avnon
producer:
Offer Avnon
selected festivals and awards:
2021 - DOK Leipzig: Opening Film; 2021 - Haifa IFF; 2022 - Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
sections:
Intimate Stories
tags:
history psychology relations

Other films from this section Intimate Stories

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