AJFF: March ‘68
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns for its 23rd anniversary with a slate of compelling, emotional and thought-provoking films.
March ’68 is a riveting historical drama, rich in period recreation, compelling characters and political crises. Folks may be aware of the major French student protests of May 1968, but fewer know about March 1968 in Poland, when in response to student protests at the University of Warsaw, the Communist regime called out various militias for violent suppression and deployed antisemitic rhetoric in the wake of Israel’s victory in the Six Day War.
These events unfold through the eyes of the initially apolitical Jewish theater student Hania (a luminous Vanessa Aleksander) and Christian engineering student Janek (Ignacy Liss, who holds a striking resemblance to American actor Miles Teller).
Director and co-writer Krzysztof Lang masterfully portrays their all-consuming passion and the exuberance of Polish youth (especially in dance parties to western rock ‘n’ roll) against the drabness of Iron Curtain life and great insight into the workings of the corrupt Polish government. This is a film that will stay with you long after the lights come up.
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