Films by Philippe Bellaiche

Israel, France, Germany, Finland 2021, 110 min
by Avi Mograbi

5 million Palestinians live in the occupied territories under Israeli military rule, 2 million of them in the Gaza Strip, under total siege for the past several years. “The Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has already lasted for 54 years.” This statement does not tell much about occupation. What does 'occupation' imply?The first 54 years aims to provide an exclusive insight into the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people while it is still ongoing. Describing their orders, their missions and their actions, Israeli soldiers witnesses report on the mechanisms of oppression of Palestinians from 1967 to the present day. With these testimonies, they reveal the factory of the occupation machine.

Germany, Israel 2011, 97 min
by Arnon Goldfinger

Grandmother Gerda died at age 98. The family gathers in her flat in Tel Aviv where she has lived with grandfather Kurt for the last 70 years. Among countless letters, photographs and documents director Arnon Goldfinger uncovers traces of an unspoken past: the Jewish grandparents were close friends with SS-officer Leopold von Mildenstein and his wife.The film develops into a story that holds unexpected internationalinterests, calls up restrained family emotions and discloses secrets. Together with his mother the filmmaker and grandson Arnon Goldfinger takes on the battle, like two Don Quixotes: against boxes, dust, salesmen and family members, past, present, repression and truth.