De plaats van de vreemdeling 1979

Jewish identity in all its facets

Directed by Rudolf van den Berg

This controversial documentary describes Van den Berg's quest for the Jewish identity. First, he organizes a dinner party where some Jewish Dutchmen enter into a discussion; next, he pays a visit to Israel. After a couple of days there he starts asking himself questions, not so much about Israel's right to exist but about the principles the state is based on. In his own words: "One of the essential aspects of the film is the questioning of the notion of Judaism. Being a Jew is something existentialist, but if you try to define it you fail.(...) There is no fitting definition, yet there is something like a Jew. I don't think that if you call yourself - as a state - democratic you should adopt that as a standard for your whole social system. That's what is happening in Israel." The quintessence of the film is that Van den Berg has made an unambiguous attempt to make clear that a Jew is not by definition a Zionist.