In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, two new films have been released that explore lesser-known aspects of the Holocaust. One will be screened this evening at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, the other was recently broadcast on Channel 13. Together, they present deeply human stories and bring back into public consciousness narratives that had long been overlooked.
Sleeping with the SS
The first film, Sleeping with the SS, is a docudrama by Prof. Rami Kimchi of the School of Communication at Ariel University. It tells the story of three Jewish families from Greece who fled Nazi terror and found shelter in a remote village. When German forces take control of the village, SS officers choose to establish their headquarters inside the very house where the families are hiding. The Jews are forced to disguise themselves as Christians and live under the same roof as their enemies.
The film is told from the perspective of Ziko, a Jewish orphan from Thessaloniki, and blends documentary storytelling with dramatic elements.
“I wanted to connect the personal with the historical,” said Kimchi. “I’m proud that this is the first Holocaust film focused on the Greek periphery. It carries an optimistic tone, even though it’s a Holocaust story.”
The Grave Hunter
The second film, The Grave Hunter, directed by Yochay Rosenberg, aired yesterday. It follows Meir Bulkah, a resident of Samaria, on a journey to trace his roots in Poland. There he discovered that his family’s graves had been desecrated and the cemetery transformed into a dog park. The film documents his ten-year battle to restore the dignity of the deceased and rehabilitate the site.
Both films were produced with the support of the Samaria Film Fund, which promotes independent Jewish and cultural filmmaking. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council and chairman of the Film Fund, commented:
“Sleeping with the SS is not just another film—it is the cry of a community that has been pushed out of national memory. We have a mission to bring stories from the margins to the center of awareness.”
