Eli Cohen, “Under the Domim Tree” (Etz Hadomim Tafus)

The sequel to Summer of Aviya, Under the Domim Tree is based on the autobiographical book by Gila Almagor. The film is set in the early 50’s and follows a group of teenage orphans who survived the Nazi concentration camps and now live on a kibbutz in Israel. As told through the eyes of Aviya, the only sabra (Israeli-born) among them, the story unfolds against the backdrop of the public debate on the issue of accepting German reparations for Nazi atrocities. During the day the youths seem like average teenagers, but when night falls, painful memories of the Holocaust overwhelm their imaginations. When life becomes truly unbearable, the teens find refuge under the beautiful Domim Tree – the only place that gives them a trace of inner solace and the hope for a new life.