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Back In Berlin

  • Israel
  • Documentary
  • 2021
  • 58 min.
  • Director(s): Bobby Lax
  • Producer(s): David Noy, Yoram Ivry

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.

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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

  • WINNER

    Documentary Film Honorable Mention
    Haifa Film Festival
    2021

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

  • "Great documentary with several surprising twists."
    - Jan Doense, Festival Director, Film by the Sea International Film Festival
  • "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
  • "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