The Flat

Jun 14 2012 Not Rated 1h 37m
Documentary

The flat on the third floor of a Bauhaus building in Tel Aviv was where my grandparents lived since they immigrated to Palestine in the 1930s. Were it not for the view from the windows, one might have thought that the flat was in Berlin. When my grandmother passed away at the age of 98 we were called to the flat to clear out what was left. Objects, pictures, letters and documents awaited us, revealing traces of a troubled and unknown past. The film begins with the emptying out of a flat and develops into a riveting adventure, involving unexpected national interests, a friendship that crosses enemy lines, and deeply repressed family emotions. And even reveals some secrets that should have probably remained untold...

Plot

When Arnon Goldfinger's grandmother dies in Tel Aviv, his whole family comes for the necessary disposition of her property. While dealing with all the stuff, Arnon makes a shocking discovery: evidence that his German Jewish grandparents had a long-lasting friendship with senior Nazi SS officer Leopold von Mildenstein before and after World War II. His repulsion and confusion at how his beloved grandparents could have done that sends Arnon on an international search for the truth. In doing so, Arnon learns about a complex relationship in which family, sentiment, history, and human nature combine to produce a kind of denial in reaction to the worst of reality.

Written by

Arnon Goldfinger

Directed by

Arnon Goldfinger

Cast

Michael Adler, Yaron Amit, Avrham Barkai

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Israel, Germany

Production Companies

Zero One Film, ZDF, ARTE

Languages

English, Deutsch

Awards

14 wins & 4 nominations total

Trailers
The Flat Trailer 1 (2012) - Sundance Documentary HD
Scores
# of Votes
1,531
Average Rating
7 out of 10
Metascore
83
Popularity
NA