Afterward

The film documents a personal journey to address a long standing hatred and fear of Germans that takes the narrator from childhood walks with her uncle, to Israel face to face with Palestinians discussing the occupation. Through a dozen or more interviews Ofra discusses her own past growing up in Israel, examines the trauma wounding both sides, and asks what our responsibility and complicity is now. These are not questions answered by the film; the audience is allowed to see each person in their full humanity and to try to answer for themselves as she traces the decisions she and her family have made along the way. A very powerful and compelling story that has stayed with me for days after seeing this moving film.

Ofra Block a psychoanalyst and filmmaker powerfully engages in interviewing second generation Germans and Palestinians. She herself as interviewer- participant forced me as a member of the audience to confront past and current history and my own hard held beliefs and prejudices. She did this by showing what the act of truly listening to people who we look upon as enemies and who do not hold our personal views can be a gesture of taking responsibility. Her film raises many questions and does not attempt to give solutions. However what it does do is to put us on alert not to turn away from past history or our current political realities and to take heed and remember our humanity and that we are all in this together. It is also beautifully filmed and needs to be seen.

Afterward is a moving and courageous film about Ofra Bloch's personal journey of processing her own trauma and confronting her role in indirectly traumatizing others. It challenges us all to think about how this applies to us personally and to our world order in general. It was moving, provocative, and beautifully done. It's an important film to see.

Through a series of conversations with the German children of Nazi officers, Palestinians, and her own reflections, Ofra / the filmmaker, examines her own past growing up in Israel, moving to the United States, and the ongoing inter-generational trauma experienced by all sides. This is a movie that haunts you with the questions, courage, and wisdom of all the speakers, by talking with each other honestly about their past, present, and possible future.

If you are someone who likes to contemplate the complexity of human relations without looking for easy answers, this is the film for you. Ofra is a shining example of how to stay engaged with all sides of a traumatic situation so that each voice can be heard in its unique wisdom. She does not force interpretation, but allows the viewer to reach deep into themselves, in order to be touched by the various forms of suffering.

A hopeful vision of the transformative power of true presence, and authentic listening. This film is an excellent tool for teaching, and raising deep questions.