THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK BOOK
Israel, 2019, 70 minutes, Black-and-white, Colour.
Directed by Boris Maftsir.
A significant documentary focusing on the experience of Soviet Jews during World War II – and the aftermath of silence.
Using extensive footage from the 1940s and 1950s, along with talking head interviews by experts, especially Jonathan Rubenstein of Boston, the documentary provides a lot of background information. It takes for granted audience knowledge of the rise of the Nazis, anti-Semitism, the outbreak of World War II, the invasion of Poland, the invasion of Russia, patriotic propaganda in Russia. This is all well visualised.
However, the precise focus is on the Jewish experience during the war, the call on the Jewish community, especially in Moscow, to boost the fighting spirit of the soldiers of the Soviet Union. A distinguished journalist, Ilya Ehrenberg, was seconded to produce articles, 1500 during this period. A committee was also established in Moscow with a range of distinguished Russians, actors, novelists, the director so gay Eisenstein. This committee collected testimonies from all around the Soviet Union concerning the atrocities. Continually throughout the film, the names of the wide range of cities features on screen. Ehrenberg intended to collect these stories and testimonies and publish them, The Black Book. There are also negotiations with the Jewish community in the United States.
There were difficulties with the authorities, underlying anti-Semitism, criticisms by senses, elimination of material. The book was not published.
However, with the Soviet Union being on the side of the victors in World War II, the domination of Stalin, more and more repression on Jews was widespread. Individual Jews were criticised, arrested, executed. There were conspiracy theories, especially about Jewish doctors. This film notes significant people, arrests, executions. It also meant that the Black Book all but disappeared.
The thrust of the film is to make known the existence of the book, its contents, Ehrenberg and his work, the Moscow committee, difficulties in publication, the subsequent persecution of the Jews, repression.
