SHALOM ITALIA

“I had fun during the Holocaust,” recalls middle brother, Andrea. Seventy years have passed since the Jewish-Italian Anati family narrowly escaped the Nazis when they found shelter in a cave deep in the Tuscan woods. Bubi, Andrea, and Emmanuel—now in their seventies and eighties—have set out to find the very place they have to thank for their survival, even if their memories can’t agree on how to get there. As they retrace their steps from each home they fled and each tree or stone they may or may not have passed on their journey to find refuge, each brother replays his personal version of the family’s shared history. While their mutual childhood experiences unite them, fond memories for one sibling are exceedingly painful for another as the brothers compare notes from their unpredictable era-in-hiding. SHALOM ITALIA is set against a breathtaking Tuscan backdrop with more warm, endearing moments than somber ones. This documentary beautifully illustrates the unconditional love and unwavering resilience of family. (In Italian and Hebrew with subtitles) —A.B.