Watch Germans & Jews

Germans & Jews is a documentary film released in 2016 that explores the contemporary relationship between Germans and Jews and their reflections on the past. Directed by Janina Quint and Tal Recanati, the film engages with the historical and cultural differences that have existed between these two groups, and how these differences continue to play out today.

The documentary takes a grassroots approach at dissecting the topic, with interviews from a wide array of Germans, Jews, historians, rabbis, and intellectuals from different spectrums. Through these interviews, the film offers a nuanced and deeply human exploration of the complexities of the German-Jewish relationship.

The documentary begins with a historical overview of the German-Jewish relationship, starting from the time of the Weimar Republic, through the Holocaust and the post-World War II period, up until the present day. The film uses archival footage and photographs to illustrate the events that marked this relationship, including Nazi rallies, life in concentration camps, and the establishment of Israel.

The film then delves into the complexity of the contemporary German-Jewish relationship. Quint and Recanati explore how Germans and Jews view each other and their past, and how these perceptions have evolved over time. One of the striking aspects of the film is how it shows the stark differences in how younger generations grapple with historical guilt and legacy compared to their parents and grandparents who lived through the war years.

The documentary also highlights the diverse ways in which Jews and Germans try to come to terms with their fraught past. Some Germans feel a deep sense of responsibility and guilt for what happened during the Holocaust, while others resist the idea of collective guilt and believe their current generation should not be weighed down by the crimes of their forebears. Similarly, some Jews still have a deep mistrust of Germans as a collective, but others are willing to embrace Germans and move forward with empathy and understanding.

The film also explores the perspectives of minorities in Germany today, such as Turkish immigrants and Muslims, and their experiences of living in a country that has a complex and challenging history when it comes to dealing with minority groups.

Throughout the documentary, the interviews are interspersed with archival footage, animation and family stories, adding depth and richness to the narrative. These elements help to break up what could have been a dry and academic look at a complex topic, instead delivering a highly emotional and personal exploration.

There are many standout moments in the documentary, including a powerful interview with a Holocaust survivor, Irene Spicker, who talks about her experience of being forced to flee Germany during the war. There is also a touching scene where a group of Jewish children are taken to visit a concentration camp, and one young girl reflects on how she would have been killed if she had lived during the time of the Holocaust.

Overall, Germans & Jews is an important and thought-provoking documentary that offers a fresh and nuanced perspective on a complex historical and contemporary topic. The filmmakers do not shy away from the challenges and difficulties that still exist in the German-Jewish relationship, but they do offer a ray of hope that these wounds can be healed over time with understanding, empathy and mutual respect.

Germans & Jews is a 2016 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 16 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6 and a MetaScore of 73.