Film Reveals Secret Mass Murder of Jews by Catholics in 1941

‘Aftermath’ Dares to Unearth Terrible Secrets of Poland’s Lost Jews

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The most controversial film in the country’s history lands stateside on Nov. 1.

On July 10, 1941, half the residents of Jedwabne, a Polish village 85 miles northeast of Warsaw, murdered the other half. The mob, led by the mayor, were Catholics; their 1,600 victims were Jewish, slaughtered over several nightmarish hours with bats, knives, rifles and other improvised weapons. Those who survived the massacre were then rounded up in a barn donated by a local farmer, which was then set ablaze. A plaque erected at the site blamed Nazis for the massacre, but, in fact, Nazis had only authorized it. Locals walked by the plaque for half a century, knowing the truth, but saying nothing.

Source: Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter