14th Warsaw Jewish Film Festival

Mateusz Szczepaniak, 23 November 2016
The 14th Warsaw Jewish Film Festival opened today. The event is organised by the Kamera Dawida Foundation and takes place in the POLIN Museum and the Warsaw JCC between the 21st and 27th November 2016. The Festival opens with the premiere of "Persona Non Grata", directed by Cellina Gluck, a drama telling the story of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara who, during World War II, as Consul in Lithuania, saved several thousand Jews. This will not be the only film linked to Holocaust which will be screened during this year's Festival.

This year's event is dedicated to American actor and producer Martin Landau and to philanthropist and eminent POLIN Museum benefactor Tad Taube.

The program features thirty of the newest films featuring a Jewish theme. They originate from eleven different countries – Argentina, Belarus, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, Canada, Germany, Poland, Rumania and the USA. They include fictional films, documentaries, both short and full-length movies which will compete, within twelve categories, for the David Award.

The screening of Persona Non Grata, 21st November at 7:00pm, will be following by a meeting with the film's director and cast members. Other films with a Holocaust theme include: 

Przesłuchanie (Interrogation), dir. Erez Pery, Israel 2016, 80’, a drama telling the story of Auschwitz-Birkenau Commandant Rudolf Höss and young Albert, who is meant to interrogate Höss and illicit statements from him. Screening: 23rd November at 8:45pm, followed by a meeting with the film lead actor Maciej Marczewski.

Kronika mińskiego getta. O honor i wolność (Minsk Ghetto Chronicle – Honour and Freedom), dir. Vladimir Łuckij, Belarus 2015, 50’, a documentary telling the story of Jewish resistance in Belarussian ghettos and other small places. Screening: 26th Novermber 12 noon followed by a meeting with the director.

Claude Lanzmann: widma Shoa (Shoah Spectres), dir. Adam Benzine, Canada 2015, 40’, a documentary presenting the creation, post-production of and reception to the important documentary film Shoah, as told by that film's creator Claude Lanzmann. Screening: 25th November 7:20pm.

The Festival will conclude with Niepamięć (Amnesia), dir. Atom Egoyan, Canada, Germany 2015, 94’, a fictional film telling the story of a man suffering from dementia, who sets out on a search for an Auschwitz camp Blockführer, the man responsible for the death of his family. Screening: 27th November 7:00pm.

Admission to all screening is free. The Festival's full program can be viewed here.