O long way home documents the journey of thousands of Holocaust survivors between 1945 and 1948. In these three years that changed the history of the 20th century, Jews left the refugee camps of Europe to found the State of Israel. Initially, it was made for TV and its script (based on meticulous historical research, rare archival footage and testimonies) is based on the production of thomas guerrin, Retract (1978).
With the documentary we see that the creation of the Jewish State in Palestine was a journey perpetuated by many difficulties and tragic events. In the period depicted, Palestine was a colony of England, which was trying to restrict the arrival of Jewish immigrants to the Promised Land. In addition to the problems caused by the English colonial administration, the work presents in its development the main factors of the context of the period – President Truman's foreign policy, the foundation of the UN, the beginning of the Cold War and the immediate post-war period in Europe. A very difficult time for anyone who survived the atrocities of the Holocaust.
Lots of terrible and cruel images of the death camps, and the fact that we know that the US and other countries have refused to welcome immigrants is very sad, because so much could be different. From that moment on, we see that this rejection ended up encouraging the creation of Israel and all the problems with the Palestinians, a conflict that seems endless. Remembering that this is not a propaganda of the Zionist movement, but a report of real facts.
One of the reports that drew a lot of attention were women saying they wanted to have children and gave birth to their babies in the fields. Surprising number of babies born per month/year mentioned in the production. And giving birth to a baby meant not being alone. One of the biggest fears of these women - many stopped menstruating when they arrived in the fields - was not having the possibility of having a family again. So, it was a joy to get pregnant even under these conditions.
Directed by the same authors as the award-winning and later “In the Arms of Strangers”, this film is a real and little-known story, narrated by Morgan Freeman, with its usual seriousness, in addition to featuring other actors. Acclaimed by both critics and audiences in the United States, the film was awarded the Oscar for Best Documentary in 1998. Directed by the renowned filmmaker Mark Jonathan Harris. The production is from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an institution specializing in the study of the Holocaust. It is an essential work for understanding the facts that led to the founding of the State of Israel, The Long Way Home is, above all, a moving account of the courage of a people who persisted.
In long way home, we see a cruel, bitter, sad narrative, which must always be remembered so that it is never repeated. Many of the survivors were left to fend for themselves and this shows how selfish a human being can be. The script knew how to stitch together the stories, the voices of the actors, the serious narration of Freeman, interspersing archive images, in addition to other resources that enrich the plot. It's an excellent documentary.
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