Still Life in Lodz

In October 1968, a wave of state-sponsored antisemitism led to the forced expulsion of many Polish Jews, including Lilka Elbaum. Following the 1968 student protests, the Polish government launched an anti-Semitic campaign that stripped thousands of Jews of their citizenship and forced them to leave the country.

The Jewish community in Lodz was nearly totally obliterated during the Shoah. The city had one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe before the war, but was largely wiped out through deportation to concentration camps and extermination. The Lodz Ghetto was the second-largest ghetto after Warsaw.

During World War II, the building where the painting hung was taken over by a German family. Despite the upheaval and the displacement of Jewish residents, the painting remained in the building and later returned to Jewish ownership after the war, becoming a silent witness to the turbulent history.

The painting serves as a central symbol connecting three distinct historical periods of the Jewish community in Lodz: the pre-war vibrant community, the Holocaust devastation, and the post-war revival before the 1968 expulsion. It represents continuity, memory, and the lasting impact of art across generations of displacement.

Paul Celler is a fellow New Yorker who accompanies Lilka on her journey, while Roni Ben Ari is an Israeli who, like Lilka, shares profound connections to Lodz. Both have their own family histories and memories tied to the city, making their collective exploration a shared quest to unearth remnants of their ancestry.

Lilka returns to Lodz to reconnect with her past and reclaim her identity and heritage that was severely affected by historical tribulations. Living in Boston, she grapples with feelings of loss and nostalgia, and her journey back is about reclaiming the family memories and history that were interrupted by expulsion.

The 1968 expulsion marked another major departure for the Jewish community, following the near-total destruction during the Holocaust. The film explores how the community continued to exist in diminished numbers, with the documentary capturing efforts to preserve memory and honor the resilience of those who remained.

During World War II, the German occupation of Poland involved the systematic displacement of Polish and Jewish residents from their homes. The building where Lilka's family lived was seized and given to a German family, reflecting the broader policy of Germanization and the persecution of Jewish families in occupied Poland.

The documentary uses a blend of archival footage, authentic Ghetto drawings, modern creative animation techniques, and contemporary documentary sequences to weave together the three periods: the pre-war Jewish community, the Holocaust devastation, and the post-war revival leading to the 1968 expulsion. This artistic approach connects past and present.

The documentary was directed by Slawomir Grünberg, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and Emmy-award winner known for his powerful historical documentaries. His approach balances past and present, using artistic techniques to honor the resilience and rich history of Lodz's Jewish heritage.