Martin

A young Israeli director (see also INNER TOUR), on a visit to Dachau concentration camp, is irritated by the way it has been transformed into a museum. Suddenly, he notices a mysterious man in a long gray coat. This turns out to be Martin Zaidenstadt, a Jewish survivor of Dachau, who haunts the place, accosting tourists to remind them of what happened there. “There was a tree,” he says, pointing to an empty and carefully manicured lawn, “where a woman was hanged by her hands.” Beneath a gas chamber, where he says he saw thousands perish, there is an inscription stating it was never used. Curious, the director befriends Martin, but finds himself unsure of how far to trust him. Spurred by the uneasiness he feels about his own reactions, the director tenderly raises difficult questions about memory and historical accuracy.

RA'ANAN ALEXANDROWICZ DIRECTOR Date and place of birth: 29.8.1969, Jerusalem, Israel Education: 1992-1996 - Sam Spiegel School for Cinema and Television, Jerusalem Filmography: "The Inner Tour" (2000) A 95 min. Documentary. Available: 35 mm., Video - Beta-SP Broadcasts: TELAD - Israel; BBC- UK; ARTE - Germany/France; VPRO - Holland; SVT-Sweden; YLE-Finland. Main festivals: Berlin 2001; Docaviv 2001 (Special Mention); Idfa 2001; Edinburgh 2001; Vancouver 2001(Special Mention); Sundance 2002; New Directors 2002 (invited); San Francisco 2002; Sarajevo 2002 (invited); "Martin" (1999) A 52 min. Documentary. Available: 35 mm., video - Beta-SP Broadcasts: RESHET - Israel; ARTE - France/Germany; HUMANISTIC / Holland; SVT-Sweden; YLE-Finland; CBC-Canada. Main festivals: Jerusalem 1999 (Winner Wolgin, Doc.); Docaviv 2000 (Winner international, Special Mention ISRAELI competition); Berlin 2000; Input 2000; New Directors 2000; Sheffield 2000; Montreal 2000; Sao Paulo 2000; "On the Other Side of the Tracks" (1999), Available: Video - Beta-SP A 25 Min. Documentary, an episode from the TV series "Zoom"/ For the 2nd Channel Authority, Israel. "Yaldei Halyila" (1998) A 6 min. Music Video For Ehud Banai - NMC Records. "Maharina" (1996) A 5:17 min. Music Video For Ehud Banai - NMC Records. (Second Prize - Haifa Clip Competition) "Self Confidence LTD." (1996) A 21 min. film Available: 16mm. Graduation Project at Sam Spiegel Film School, Jeruslaem. Awards: Lodz Mediaschool - Gran Prix; Krakow Short Film Festival - Third Prize; Torino Short Film Festival - Special Mention.