Keep Silent

When you are descended from a family of WWII collaborators what does it do to your sense of self, and your impression of the world around you?

My mother was a distant woman to me. At her funeral, 30 years ago, an uncle told me about how my grandparents collaborated with the Germans during World War II. I was astonished, but we all kept silent. For decades I felt it poisoning my existence. When I started to search for the truth, I was not only confronted with my grandparents' criminal records but I found over 40 relatives. I discovered a legacy that has left deep traces in my mother's life and the lives of subsequent generations. May I reveal this family secret?

 

80' / colour

Original title: HET GROTE VERZWIJGEN
Dir: Marieke van der Winden
Prod: Witfilm - Boudewijn Koole, Iris Lammertsma
Sc: Marieke van der Winden
D.O.P.: Sander Snoep
Completed: summer/ autumn 2020
Language: Dutch, German

Marieke van der Winden:
First feature length documentary.
STUBBORN (2010, short doc), VILLAGE INTERESTS (2006, short doc), SONGS OF 80 SPRINGS (2000, short doc).

Witfilm
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