Back In Berlin
Synopsis
Shortly after his father’s death, Bobby returns to his native England and discovers a suitcase full of documents, letters and photos, documenting the story of his family who perished in the Holocaust – the story his father never told him. He turns to Manuel, his German-born childhood friend, to translate the documents. Manuel, who hails from a family steeped in cinematic history and whose aunt was married to Stanley Kubrick, reveals that he too has recently uncovered a dark family secret: his father’s uncle was the infamous Nazi filmmaker Veit Harlan, director of the film “Jud Suss” – banned from screening to the present day and considered the most notorious anti-Semitic propaganda film in history. Together they embark on a voyage to Berlin to discover more about their respective pasts- a journey which puts their friendship to the test.
Credits
Director(s)
Bobby Lax
Producer(s)
David Noy, Yoram Ivry
Script
Bobby Lax
Cinematography
David Zarif
Editor
Arik Lahav Leibovitch
Original Music
Ran Bagno
Original Language
Hebrew, English, German
Subtitles
English
Sound Design
Yossi Applebaum
Festival Highlights
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WINNER
Documentary Film Honorable MentionHaifa Film Festival2021
Chagrin International Film Festival, USA, 2022
Film by the Sea, The Netherlands, 2022
Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2022
PyeongChang Int'l Peace Film Festival, Korea, 2022
Berlin Jewish Film Festival, Germany, 2022
Haifa International Film Festival, Israel, 2021
Boca Raton JFF, USA, 2023
Tuscon JFF, USA, 2023
UK JFF, UK, 2022
Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh, 2023
Reviews
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"Great documentary with several surprising twists."
- Jan Doense, Festival Director, Film by the Sea International Film Festival
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"There are so many twists and turns to the storyline, and emotional powder kegs blowing up along the way, ultimately in a positive and rewarding manner."
- Barry David, The Jerusalem Post
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"Sometimes interviewees can sound glib when they use words like “cathartic”, “therapeutic”, and “life-changing”. However, when Bobby Lax uses them to describe the experience of making his documentary Back in Berlin, they carry real weight: the evidence is there on screen... I believe him, and you will too."
- Stephen Applebaum, The Jewish Chronicle
