See Ofra Bloch’s deeply personal documentary about the psychological barriers to peace in the Middle East when Afterward premieres at New York City’s Village East Cinema, Jan. 10-16 (all showtimes to be announced soon).
Join our Q&A discussions:
- Fri., January 10, 7 pm show w/ director Ofra Bloch + producer Jack Riccobono; moderated by New York Times deputy politics editor Rachel Dry.
- Sat., January 11, 7 pm show w/ Ofra Bloch + film subject Basel Alyazouri
- Sun., January 12, TBD show w/ Ofra Bloch + Basel Alyazouri
- Wed., January 15, 7 pm show w/ director Ofra Bloch + Jack Riccobono
Jerusalem-born trauma expert Ofra Bloch forces herself to confront her personal demons in a journey that takes her to Germany, Israel and Palestine. Set against the current wave of fascism and anti-Semitism sweeping the globe, Afterward delves into the secret wounds carried by victims as well as victimizers, through testimonies ranging from the horrifying to the hopeful. Seen as a victim in Germany and a perpetrator in Palestine, Bloch faces those she was raised to hate as she searches to understand the identity-making narratives of the Holocaust and the Nakba, violent and nonviolent resistance, and the possibility of reconciliation. The film points toward a future – an “afterward” – that attempts to live with the truths of history in order to make sense of the present.