The Israeli film Ha'edut was shown in the U.S. with the title The Testament. The movie was written and directed by Amichai Greenberg.
Ori Pfeffer portrays Yoel, a researcher who demands the truth about a Polish massacre of Jews that took place at the end of World War II. We all know that the Germans slaughtered Jews as the war ended. However, in this case, it wasn't the Germans who carried out the massacre--it was the local Polish people.
Yoel knows this happened, and he thinks he knows exactly where it happened. It's his job to find the mass grave, and document this atrocity.
However, even though a few cooperative local residents tell him that they heard the shots, and they can point out the general area, they can't give him exact instructions.
This situation is bad enough, but it's even worse because local builders want to cover the area with concrete, and then the mass grave will never be found.
Local officials offer a compromise solution. They'll admit that "several dozen" Jews were killed in the area at the end of the war. That's it. No mass grave, no further concessions. Time is running out.
This movie is an important addition to films about the Holocaust. I think that the Holocaust is in the mind of every Jew every day. Films set during this reign of terror are typically very graphic and often horrifying to watch.
The Testament is different. No one is rounding up Jews and no one is slaughtering them. The forms of politeness are maintained throughout. However, the Holocaust is there in every frame. The movie reminds us that truth about the Holocaust is worth seeking and demanding.
We saw this film on the large screen at the JCC Hart Theatre, as part of Rochester's wonderful Jewish Film Festival. It will work very well on DVD.
