Until 1923, the German village of Rhina had a predominantly Jewish population. Indeed, for centuries it had been called "the little Jerusalem of Prussia." When the Nazis came to power, however, the entire Jewish community vanished. Most were sent to concentration camps, and the only evidence that any Jews lived in Rhina is a vandalized graveyard. Decades later, the residents of Rhina discuss their departed neighbors and speak warmly of the old Jewish community. However, a few surviving Jews from the village--now living in New York City-- paint a sharply different picture of what occurred.Now...After All These Years explores how the residents of this village view its not too distant history, most particularly what role they played in the Holocaust. It is also a film about how memory is reshaped over time to absolve sins of the past. The film culminates in an emotional sequence when the townspeople of Rhina view their erstwhile Jewish neighbors, an opportunity that allows them to reconsider their collective denial or continue to protest their culpability.Hailed unanimously at premiere showings in America, this powerful and touching film received a "Special Merit" from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.In English and German with English subtitles.
