Izkor: Slaves of Memory

Each spring, life in Israel is dominated for 30 days by four occasions that plunge the country into memories of the past. First, there is Pesach, the celebration of the new freedom of the Hebrew people after being enslaved by the pharaohs. Pesach is followed by the memorial days of Yom Ha'shoa and Yom Ha'zikaron: on the first day, the country commemorates the victims and heroes of the Holocaust, and the second day, a week later, is in honor of the Israeli soldiers who gave their lives for their country. The celebration of Independence Day concludes this series of emotional occasions, this long period of collective commemoration. Izkor, Slaves of Memory is an analysis of the development of this collective memory: what are its symbols, what is its aim? We follow the road from childhood to maturity, from school to the army, to get an idea of how every member of society is infused with this "official memory." The documentary does not question the past, nor does it judge the present. It merely sheds light on the feelings that are shared by a whole nation. Izkor is a film about identity and survival. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)