Werewolves V Mummies
A little-known name linked to a film that was to profoundly shake up our notion of history. Ziva Postec devoted nearly six years of her life to editing Shoah: the epic opus by Claude Lanzmann that wou…
Werewolves V Mummies
A little-known name linked to a film that was to profoundly shake up our notion of history. Ziva Postec devoted nearly six years of her life to editing Shoah: the epic opus by Claude Lanzmann that would shed harrowing new light on the extermination of the Jews during the Second World War. Delving into her memories, the editing room virtuoso-a survivor in her own way-tells her story for the first time, going behind the scenes of the monumental undertaking to bring previously unseen footage to the screen. Performing her task with a devotion bordering on obsession, Postec reveals herself as a humble heroine, one whose unwavering commitment and luminous intelligence contrast sharply with some of humanity's darkest hours. While few today may be familiar with her name, Ziva Postec remains one of the most talented filmmakers to come out of Israel. Born in 1940, at age 21, Postec moved to Paris where she became a professional editor and worked with leading directors, such as Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Resnais, and Orson Welles. The highlight of her career, however, was when she edited Claude Lanzmann's monumental film Shoah between the years 1979-1985. The documentary before us follows Postec's life, while focusing on Shoah-including new behind-the-scenes details of its production-which she constructed out of 350 hours of film shot by Lanzmann. When Shoah was completed, Postec collapsed from fatigue and required several months to recuperate. She returned to Israel in 1986 where she lives to this day. —JFF
Werewolves V Mummies
Comedy
Film Details
A little-known name linked to a film that was to profoundly shake up our notion of history. Ziva Postec devoted nearly six years of her life to editing Shoah: the epic opus by Claude Lanzmann that would shed harrowing new light on the extermination of the Jews during the Second World War. Delving into her memories, the editing room virtuoso-a survivor in her own way-tells her story for the first time, going behind the scenes of the monumental undertaking to bring previously unseen footage to the screen.
Performing her task with a devotion bordering on obsession, Postec reveals herself as a humble heroine, one whose unwavering commitment and luminous intelligence contrast sharply with some of humanity's darkest hours. While few today may be familiar with her name, Ziva Postec remains one of the most talented filmmakers to come out of Israel. Born in 1940, at age 21, Postec moved to Paris where she became a professional editor and worked with leading directors, such as Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Resnais, and Orson Welles.
The highlight of her career, however, was when she edited Claude Lanzmann's monumental film Shoah between the years 1979-1985. The documentary before us follows Postec's life, while focusing on Shoah-including new behind-the-scenes details of its production-which she constructed out of 350 hours of film shot by Lanzmann. When Shoah was completed, Postec collapsed from fatigue and required several months to recuperate.
She returned to Israel in 1986 where she lives to this day. —JFF.