Nesjomme

Remembrance Day - Sunday 4 May 20.45

Nesjomme follows the fictional character Rusha, a young Jewish woman in Amsterdam in the period between the two world wars. Her story, based on real testimonies and historical facts, is told through letters to her brother Max, who emigrated to the Dutch East Indies. In these letters, she describes her life in the Jewish quarter, her family and the changes in the city. The film interweaves archive footage with Rusha's stories to paint a colourful and moving portrait of the Jewish community in the interwar period. From proud diamond workers, haggling merchants and popular cabaret performers to social reformers like alderman De Miranda to the entrepreneurs behind icons like the Bijenkorf and Tuschinski,
Nesjomme shows the rich contribution of the Jewish community to Amsterdam. Post-World War I optimism is tested by economic depression, the rise of fascism and World War II. Against this backdrop, Rusha grows from a young girl into an independent woman who has to make her own choices.

Nesjomme is not only a reminder of the lost past, but also a tribute to the Jewish soul of Amsterdam.