The Flat

The Flat is a documentary filmed by an Israeli man who is trying to learn about his grandparents. It starts with his family cleaning out his grandmother's apartment soon after she dies. She and her husband had moved to Israel from Germany in the thirties. Going through her possessions, her grandson discovers a startling Nazi newspaper article about a Nazi visiting Palestine in the thirties, accompanied by his grandparents. He also finds a coin with the Star of David on one side and a swastika on the other. And pictures of his grandparents with the high level Nazi and his wife.

His mother doesn't recall her mother or father telling her anything about their life in Germany or the war years. One of the many interesting things about this documentary is the strange lack of curiosity the "2nd generation" had about their parents' experiences. This was true of the daughter of the Nazi in question as well, whom the filmmaker found and met with and interviewed at least twice. She was unaware of her father's activities during the war.

The Flat was a little slow, but the story being explored and the questions that it brings up are really very interesting and worthwhile.