STALAGS (ISRAEL)

Ari Libsker's documentary is not about the military camps used by Germany to hold enlisted prisoners of war. These "stalags" of the title are a type of pulp novel set in those camps that became popular in Israel during the 50s and 60s. Usually the protagonist of the "stalags" was a handsome American or British pilot who was captured, brought to the camp and placed under the command of a female SS officer (in reality, the SS were all male) who would brutally torture and "rape" him. The resolution invariably involved the pilot finding a way to exact revenge on the woman.

Stalags describes the Holocaust as taboo subject in Israel during the 50s and 60s. Survivors didn't want to talk about it because it was painful and also because it was commonly believed that only those who collaborated with the Nazis were allowed to live through it. Social psychologists explain that the stalags were a phenomenon that introduced themes of torture and genocide during WWII into the culture in a way that made it easier to assimilate. According to experts interviewed for this documentary, the trial of Adolf Eichmann held in Jerusalem in 1961 was the first time Israeli society dealt openly with the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust. The "stalags" were influenced by the testimony of several witnesses during that trial. Most of the writers of "stalags" used pseudonyms, often English surnames that gave the impression the writer was British or American when in fact all the writers were Israelis. Perhaps it's not surprising that the Israeli government didn't censor or banned "stalags" until the first one involving a female protagonist was published. The writer of "I Was Colonel Schultz's Private Bitch" was found guilty of obscenity and the book was banned. Many "stalags" became highly valuable collector items. Perhaps the most startling revelation comes towards the end of the film: "House of Dolls", perhaps the first "stalag", is still being used in Israeli middle-schools as a tool to teach about the Holocaust.

I found Stalags thoroughly fascinating. The presentation of the material is straightforward and conventional, which is simply an observation not a complaint. However, at one hour duration, some issues raised are not fully explored. An expanded version would be welcome. Stalags is currently having a commercial run at NYC's venerable Film Forum.