CSEES' Polish Studies Initiative (PSI) presents a screening of Adam Zucker's latest documentary, The Return on Wednesday, January 18 at 7:00pm at the Gateway Film Center.
"Finding out you’re a member of an extreme minority in a homogenous society. Realizing you’re different, part of a rich but virtually erased history—what to do with that information? How do you integrate it into your life and relationships? Where do you turn for a community when one barely exists? In Poland today, these questions are made manifest as young Poles are discovering Jewish roots they didn’t know about, and grappling with how to make meaning of it all.
Kasia, Tusia, Maria and Katka—they are representative of a tiny but growing sector of young Poles—the third generation of Holocaust survivors. Many of these “new Jews” were raised Catholic and only found out in their teens they were in fact Jewish. Each is carving a unique trajectory to her Jewish narrative; the film tracks their journeys over a four-year period, leading to five cities, three continents, two weddings, two babies, a new citizenship and a conversion. Taken together these storylines create a rich tapestry of people struggling to answer the core question: What does it really mean to be Jewish? In fact, what does it mean to be a part of any human “tribe”?"
Adam Zucker will be present at the film viewing and will engage in a Q&A session after the film. The film screening is free for students with a valid BuckID. Tickets are available for purchase for non-students through the Gateway Film Center's Box Office the day of the screening.
The event is co-sponsored by the Film Studies Program and the Melton Center for Jewish Studies.
