After learning that his sons disdain the world outside of their Orthodox community in Jerusalem, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Menachem Daum wants them to have a more tolerant understanding of others. Influenced by a lesson learned from his rabbi, Shlomo Carlebach, that "there is one god, one world and we are all brothers and sisters," Daum and his wife take them to Poland, a country, in the sons’ eyes, synonymous with the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Even Daum's own father-in-law warns him to stay in the car and avoid being seen. But with his research done, and equipped with a cell phone, a map and a Mac, Daum and his family manage to trace their roots in Poland. It is upon their arrival here that the film's pace quickens and the emotional weight of exploring their relatives' experience during the Holocaust resonates. Their road trip takes them to the Polish farm family that hid Daum's father-in-law during WWII. Here, history comes full circle as the two families reunite for the first time. Whereas son Akiva’s primary remarks regarding the journey are "I think this is completely ridiculous, like the film," we now watch him openly and emotionally pay tribute to the sacrifices made for his family. Archival footage, old home movies, and the beautiful Polish landscape add to this well-edited film. However, its strength ultimately lies in the intimacy forged between the audience and the Daum family. We see up close the challenges of confronting history and the power of coming to terms with some of the "unanswerable questions" that, according to Daum, "are part of all faiths." Caitlin Shamberg, former programming associate for the Mill Valley Film Festival
February 5, 2004