Thursday | May 30 | 19:15 | Cinematheque 3
Screening and Award Ceremony
For the third year running, Docaviv and Yad Vashem will be presenting the Yad Vashem Award for an outstanding Holocaust-related documentary. This year, the $3,000 prize goes to The Commandant’s Shadow by Daniela Voelker (Tulip Entertainment, Warner Bros.).
Award committee’s statement:
Daniela Voelker’s film examines the implications of the Holocaust and its relevance in today’s world. She follows Hans-Joergen Hoess, son of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Hoess, and the latter’s grandson Kai, on a journey to the past that ultimately involves a meeting with Jewish survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, the “cellist from Auschwitz”, and her daughter, Maya.
Voelker raises painful questions about guilt, responsibility, identity and memory, while focusing on the second and third generations of both the victims and the murderers. The film makes thoughtful use of iconic archival footage, and features unique and hitherto unknown audio-visual documentation. Dramatic clips from the Nuremberg trial testimonies of the Commandant of Auschwitz, and excerpts from his autobiography written in prison provide additional information and depth.
Intergenerational relationships in both the Hoess and Lasker-Wallfisch families are explored in the dense, yet tightly structured narrative crafted by Voelker, who proves to be an incisive and sensitive director. Hans-Joergen Hoess undergoes a profound and uncompromising process of self-discovery while Anita Lasker-Wallfisch celebrates her 98th birthday, illuminating the film with her shrewd, noble outlook on life. Together, they address some of today’s most pressing and relevant issues.
The award will be presented by Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, at a special event with Daniela Voelker after the screening.
A visceral and transformative encounter between a Holocaust survivor and the son of Auschwitz’s commandant helps those who have grappled with history's dark shadow find a path to atonement, forgiveness, and shared hope for the next generation.
