July 4, 1946: Polish soldiers, policemen and civilians massacre dozens of Jews returned from the Holocaust to the city of Kielce. The 70’s: Bogdan Bialek, Polish Catholic psychologist and teacher, begins a mission to persuade its citizens to confront their community’s suppressed history of anti-Semitism and its murderous consequences. From devastating archival footage and survivors’ testimony, through the spectrum of conflicting Polish Christian responses, to reconciliation with a survivor of the pogrom and members of the international Jewish community, this film shows the power of one courageous person pursuing the belief that through dialogue, people can grapple with truths of the past and communicate to create a better future.
film details
Documentary / Dir: Michal Jaskulski and Lawrence Loewinger / 2016 Poland-USA / Polish, English, Hebrew w/ English subtitles / 83 minutes
festivals
Copenhagen Jewish Film Festival; Winner of the Van Leer award for Best Israeli Documentary – Jerusalem International Film Festival, 2016
