The Flat

Good but awkward
It was promoted kind of like a great mystery, but I did not feel there was much of one revealed. I found it very awkward when Mr. Goldfinger pursued finding more information on the German woman's father. I guess I felt that was her journey to explore if she so chose, not his to impose upon her. But it was still a fine documentary with an interesting perspective. I especially enjoyed his mother's reaction to his research and interest in the topic. There were a few interviews that were quite good and touching.

Israeli documentarian's fascinating investigation of his own German Jewish grandparents' link to high Nazi official
*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Imagine that your grandmother has just passed away and your family is cleaning out her apartment. Amidst all the stuff your grandmother has collected, you find a tantalizing and shocking newspaper article involving your grandparents that you never heard about before from any other family member including your mother. This is essentially the set-up for 'The Flat', a fascinating new documentary by Israeli filmmaker Arnon Goldfinger.

Goldfinger's grandparents, Gerda and Kurt Tuchler, were German Jews who emigrated to Palestine (now Israel) in 1936 after the Nazis forced them out. The article was from a virulent Nazi newspaper, Der Angriff, from 1934, which chronicles a trip made by a high Nazi official, Leopold von Mildenstein, to Palestine. The article features photos of Mildenstein traveling to Palestine with Goldfinger's grandparents.

The mystery is not only why this SS man would go to Palestine with two Jews...

Intriguing Story
Contains a spoiler!

I watched this fascinating film last night on my Kindle. I was unsure for most of the film if it were a documentary or an actual work of fiction disguised as a documentary. Anyway the story is a gripping real life mystery and Mr. Goldfinger is unrelenting in discovering the past lives of his Grandparents and their unusual relationship with the Mildensteins in Germany.

His Grandparents never fully acclimatized to life in Israel. They never bothered to learn Hebrew and continued to identify themselves as Germans. This was confirmed by the contents of the flat. Therefore the relationship with the Mildensteins (for me anyway) was a continuation of this desire. They completely overlooked his Nazi activities in an effort to remain in touch with a way of former way of life albeit through rose tinted spectacles.

It was very apparent Mr. Goldfinger's Mother was very reticent to speak of her parents past and appeared to know more than she...

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