JIFF: Etty - Part 2

Etty - Part 2

“I believe one cannot tell another Holocaust story, nowadays, without charging it with universal, contemporary relevance.” – Director Hagai Levi

Australian Premiere

A new series from the creator of the HBO hits The Affair and In Treatment, Etty adapts the diaries of Dutch-Jewish woman Etty Hillesum to create a deeply affecting portrait of a woman’s search for meaning amidst the German occupation of the Netherlands.

At the age of 27, driven by a profound desire for life, Etty embarks on a spiritual and emotional journey, all chronicled in her diaries. In them, she unfolds her turbulent love affair with the psycho-chirologist Julius Spier, a relationship that becomes the catalyst for a radical inner transformation—one that deepens as the dangers surrounding her as a Jewish woman intensify, ultimately leading her to an enormous act of solidarity.

Screening in two parts, the series offers a dialogue between past and present, revealing how Etty’s story continues to resonate today, and evoking the timely question: how do we find hope in a hopeless world.

Festival Appearances/Awards
Venice Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection

Rating

Unclassified 18+

Duration

156 min

Country

France, Netherlands, Germany

Language

Dutch and German (English subtitles)

Cast

Julia Windischbauer, Sebastian Koch, Leopold Witte, Gijs Naber, Claire Bender

Director

Hagai Levi

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