Mr. Rakowski

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Polish-born Sam Rakowski (1916) had to face anti-Semitism starting at an early age. Pursued by the Nazis, he and his wife Celia eventually ended up in Auschwitz-Birkenau. After surviving the horrors of the camps, they immigrated to the United States and had a son named Richie, now a successful 55-year-old businessman. Since the death of his wife, Sam has occupied a small house on Richie's estate. Despite their awkward relationship, Richie provides his father with the best possible care. Both men are traumatized, Sam because of the war and his first son's death, Richie on account of a childhood marked by his detached and sometimes aggressive father. Separate interviews reveal how serious the lack of communication between the two is, and how badly Richie wants to understand his father. As a result, he goes through an arduous process in an attempt to redefine his view of his father. Jan Diederen's camera acts like a vigilant mediator, enabling a painful process of communication between them. This is a fascinating and touching portrait of a father and a son, with the camera as a psychoanalytical medium, - an unexpectedly optimistic film.