Filmes

Perspective


THE LAST JEWS OF LIBYA (2007)

USA

The Last Jews of Libya, narrated by Isabella Rossellini, documents the final decades of a centuries-old Sephardic Jewish community through the lives of the remarkable Roumani family. Thirty-six thousand Jews lived in Libya at the end of World War II, but not a single one remains today. A tale of war, cultural dislocation, and one family`s ultimate perseverance, this film traces the story of the Roumanis of Benghazi, Libya from Turkish Ottoman rule through the age of Mussolini and Hitler to the final destruction and dispersal of Libya`s Jews in the face of Arab nationalism. Based on the recently discovered memoirs of the family`s matriarch, Elise Roumani, as well as interviews in English, Hebrew, Italian, and Arabic with several generations of the Roumani family and a trove of rare archival film and photographs. The Last Jews of Libya is the story of an ancient community transformed by modern European culture, buffeted by Fascism and Arab nationalism, and ultimately saved through the strength of its Jewish tradition and faith.

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director
Vivienne Roumani-Denn
screenplay
Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Joseph Dorman
cinematographer
Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Thomas Geyer
edition
Amanda Zinoman
music
Maurice, Daniel, Jonathan Roumani, Elia Roumani, Yoel Ben-Simhon, Sultana Ensemble, Albert Rabagliati, David Bernson
cast
Isabella Rossellini
producer
Aryeh B. Bourkoff
production company
The Last Jews of Libya
world sales
Vivienne Roumani-Denn
50 minutes
color e P&B