Although this film is set in the Polish town of Oswiecim and has a German writer/director, its story has many parallels with Australia’s struggle to reconcile past atrocities. The town is a major tourist destination because it is the location of the notorious Auschwitz Concentration Camp. In order to avoid compulsory military service, a young German by the name of Sven (Alexanda Fehling) is sent to the town to do a year of community service. While the work isn’t that demanding, he is faced with the quandary of how to say sorry without feeling responsible for past deeds done by others and the audience is reminded that while remembrance is necessary, life goes on.
The Holocaust is always in the background, but the film concentrates on human relationships and the negotiations that are necessary to navigate them. Sven’s main task is to care for Mr Krzeminski (Ryszard Ronzewski), a Polish Jew who survived the camp and never left. The cantankerous old man provides a challenge for Sven as well as a chance for him to explore his values. For years, Mr Krzeminski has been repairing suitcases that were taken from his fellow prisoners who did not survive the camp. This project becomes more difficult because museum caretakers want to preserve the suitcases in their original states. The motif of the suitcase is incredibly powerful in this understated film.
And Along Came The Tourists is the final film of the Festival of German Films screening 18-22 May at Cinema Paradiso.
Directed by Robert Thalheim, Rated M
