By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Oren Rudavsky
Country: united_states
Year: 2004
Running time: 95
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398103/combined
Diane says: “This docu by Menachem Daum has something in common with DOGVILLE: the acceptance of a refugee and its impact on both sides. In DOGVILLE, people need to know if the woman on the run is worthy before they offer her refuge. In HIDING AND SEEKING, decisions are both more practical and more complex.
“Daum, an American Jew, is afraid that his two Orthodox sons, who live in Israel, are becoming insular and anti-goy. He takes them on a trip to Poland where they meet the goyim who hid their grandfather for two years during the Holocaust.
“What I particularly liked was the filmmaker’s acceptance of the ambiguity of motives. The Polish couple were not saints. They expected gratitude and monetary Compensation after the war. They seem to be unmoved in a ceremony where they are granted ‘Righteous Gentile’ status. 0n the other side, the grandfather is reluctant to acknowledge that he never contacted the family
that hid him. In a metaphorical sense, the debt he owes cannot be repaid; more concrete repayment is anathema.
“This is a great docu. I was amazed that these connections–between Jewish descendants and those who saved the lives of their ancestors–are still being made afresh after 60 years. The conflict within the family and the changes that some of the family members undergo is agonizing. It is one of the most moving docus I’ve ever seen. 4 cats”