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22 nd SEPTEMBER, 16.30 Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad ★ NEIGHBOURS (Sasiedzi) Documentary film Duration: 117’ DVD. colour Author: Agnjeszka Arnold Producer: Telewizja Polska Production: Poland, 2001 S.A Country of production Poland, 2001. Agnieszka Arnold (1947), Polish journalist, writer and director of documentary films frequently provokes vehement arguments with her works. She seems to have specialised in embarrassing topics. One of them is the pogroms of Jews in Jedwabne, Radziłów and adjoining villages. She is the first artist to address seriously this topic. In Neighbours she interviewed witnesses, participants and survivors of the Jewish massacre: one thousand six hundred in Jedwabne and eight hundred in Radziłów and the surrounding area. In 1997, when she finished the film, Arnold was convinced it would never be shown. She ran it for friends and those who wanted to see it. One of them was Jan Gross who. with his interest

it. He wrote a book which he called Neighbours with Arnold’s consent. As soon as it was published, the broadcasting of the film on TV (2001) was announced. It was seen by two million of forty million Poles. They were in shock. They had heard or known about the event but. as is usually the case, accepted it but did not believe it. One of the comments; “I’ve heard about the massacre and read a few things. After the film I became painfully aware that something truly terrible had happened there”, Magdalena Rachkowska, 35, office clerk.

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