Auschwitz now in the eyes of Dore | VPRO Documentary

How is Auschwitz in the eyes of Dore? Why is Dore visiting Auschwitz again? What is it, that makes Dore going back to the city of Auschwitz? A travel documentary about Auschwitz, family, and roots.

The 100th anniversary of the country is celebrated on the independence march in Warsaw. There, Dore speaks with ultra-right nationalists about their ideal Poland. How does Poland celebrate 100 years of independence? Seas of white-red flags, popping fireworks and the slogan: "God, honor, homeland." These are the characteristics of the independence march in Poland. Every year on November 11, thousands of Poles walk on the streets in Warsaw to express pride for their home country.

A quarter of a million Poles live in the Netherlands. Dutch-Polish journalist Dore van Duivenbode is one of them. In this series, she travels back to her motherland, where she visits her family house near Oświęcim, former Auschwitz. In Bialowieza, in eastern Poland, she tries to find out why a forest is causing much tension. In Warsaw, she gets deeper into the hot topic of abortion. Here strong supporters and opponents are giving their perspective. Her travels bring her also to North Poland, where she meets a low-income family and talks with the famous and notorious opposition judge Igor Tuleya. A travel series about Poland, a country that is more and more divided and cursed by its geography location.

In this first episode, Dore is present at a special edition: the celebration of a 100-year-old independent Poland, which attracted around 200,000 people. What are they celebrating?
The curse of Poland. That's how the country is called because of its geographic location.
Enclosed by two great powers, Russia and Germany, Poland has existed for years in the spheres of influence of others. In 1795, the Polish territory was divided between Austria-Hungary, Prussia, and Russia, thereby losing its independence. Until a hundred years ago. Then after the First World War Austria-Hungary fell apart, Germany emerged as a loser and Russia had to contend with a civil war. Military Józef Piłsudskizag took his chance and declared Poland, after 123 years of non-existence, again independent.

That happened on November 11, the day on which Polish independence is now celebrated annually. Piłsudski is still remembered today, also on the march, as "founder of the Second Polish Republic." However, despite his big win, Poland again did not have a say. The Second World War meant German aggression followed by decades of Soviet, and only when Communism fell in 1989, Poland was more able to move freely again.

The Soviet influence has left his trace. Also, the urge to make your own decisions all the more significant. Among those decisions are NATO membership in 1999 and EU membership in 2004. Something that conflicts with Poland's desire to act entirely independently. All these emotions play a role in the independence march. Moreover, that makes it for many Poles so important to embrace their own Polish identity on this day (and all other days of the year).

Original title: Mijn Poolse huis (1/5)

Presentation: Dore van Duivenbode
Director: Britta Bosman
Production: Elleke Claessen
Camera: Jacko van t´Hof, Maarten Kramer, Pim Hawinkels
Sound: Dennis Kersten
Sound Mix: Joost Oskamp
Edit: Paul Delput
Research: Anna Stylinska, Michiel Driebergen
Music: Kaveh Vares
Commissioning Editor: Henneke Hagen

© VPRO March 2019

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