The Cemetery Club
A group of Tel Aviv seniors take folding chairs to the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem each week and sit in a circle under an old shade tree. There, among the graves of the nation's greats, they bay off loneliness by discussing everything from poetry to politics to philosophy. When talks get too heated, someone just blows a whistle – and it's time to eat lunch.
At the centre of the documentary are two of the director’s relatives – Tali's great-aunt Lena and Tali’s grandmother Minya. Lena is a bossy sort, who is both opinionated and proud. Like most of the group, Lena and Minya are Holocaust survivors. They grew up as best friends in Poland, got separated in the ghettos, and then reunited after the war. Although Lena was married to Minya’s brother, both women are now widows. They spend most of their time arguing. But as family secrets are spilled, it’s evident that these two are forever bound together by history.
At the centre of the documentary are two of the director’s relatives – Tali's great-aunt Lena and Tali’s grandmother Minya. Lena is a bossy sort, who is both opinionated and proud. Like most of the group, Lena and Minya are Holocaust survivors. They grew up as best friends in Poland, got separated in the ghettos, and then reunited after the war. Although Lena was married to Minya’s brother, both women are now widows. They spend most of their time arguing. But as family secrets are spilled, it’s evident that these two are forever bound together by history.
| Director: | Tali Shemesh |
| Studio: | Mongrel Media |
| Producer(s): | Assaf Amir, Guy Lavie |
| Writer(s): | Tali Shemesh |