The journey to Poland is a very special class trip for many Israeli students each year. During this week they visit four concentration camps, three mass graves and two ghettos. By now many students have documented their experiences and thoughts of the trip with their smartphone and have uploaded these on Youtube. You see crying teenagers who are overwhelmed by the gas chambers, mass graves and conversations with witnesses, as well as teachers, who, with a tremendous effort and questionable educational means, try to give an understanding of the importance and relevance of the holocaust for their nation. On the other side you see students who feel lost and helpless, as the cannot react to the pressure of feeling something; they feel nothing.
Sagi Bornstein and Udi Nir have compiled their documentary movie from the countless videos of „The Journey to Poland“, which is how the trip on the trail of the holocaust is called in Israel. It was their first joint film by the two directors, who themselves traveled to Poland as students.
The Dok Spotters met with Udi Nir to ask him a few questions about the film and his journey to Poland.
Please describe your DOK Leipzig in 3 words: new, exciting and surprising
When did you get in touch with documentary films for the first time?: This is actually my first documentary. Segi who is also director and producer of #uploading_holocaust has done some films before, but this the first one for me and I got to know him and this is how I got involved.
Is there a topic you would like to produce another documentary about?: There are many topics I would like to produce documentaries about, I’m wondering which one to state. I think one I’m very interested in is a documentary about certain drugs.