The Jewish community in Rhodes had lived in Rhodes for 500 years. Part of the Sephardic branch who had been expelled from Spain in 1492. Speaking Ladino or Judeo-Spanish. Very quaint and scenic. The film describes the community through the memories of three Holocaust survivors as they return to their ancestral home. Now destroyed.
The title, not sure I like it. It refers to the 21 days it took for the Nazis to transport the 1800 Jews to Auschwitz. But the community was so much more than their pointless journey to death.
The last scene shows one man cursing the Nazis while he stands with his daughter, granddaughter and his great grandchild. His message was that he had lived.
The local connection? Older adults (and some younger) filled the theater. Seattle is the home for one of the largest Sephardim communities in the country. When the Young Professor (Devin Naar) asked how many had connection to Rhodes, many (at least half) raised their hands. The Jewish Studies program at UW where I hang out has a strong Sephardic emphasis.
Much sniffling at the end of the film.
Most American Jews (including myself) have Ashkenazim roots, European descent esp central and eastern Europe.
They had a short panel after the film and the ladies from Ezzie Bezzie (Ezra Beseroth, one of the local sephardic contregations) served traditional cookies in the lobby. Biscochos, a shortbread cookie in the shape of a circle.
A shot from the film as one of the survivors describes his life and a picture of biscochos, like the ones we had.
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