Past Life is set in 1977 Jerusalem, where two sisters, the daughters of Holocaust survivors, investigate a taboo topic: the mystery of their difficult father’s experiences in Poland during World War II. Director Avi Nesher confronts a trauma — the burden of history — that is still very much part of the Israeli present and deeply rooted in the collective subconscious. Sephi is confronted by a Polish woman after performing in a choral concert in West Berlin. The woman accuses her father of being a murderer. When she reveals this only to her sister, Nana, the two begin investigating their father’s past, uncovering surprises which stir up more questions and anxiety within the family and reveal the mystery which has cast a shadow on their entire lives.
Directed by: Avi Nesher (Israel) 2016
Hosted by: Orit Yeret, Lector, The Modern Hebrew Program, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Post film discussion with: Gil Rubin, Geoffrey H. Hartman Postdoctoral Fellow, The Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies