Waves of Memory

In 1946, a shabby ship dubbed the Rafiach sailed from Yugoslavia with Jewish Holocaust survivors aboard, trying to reach British-controlled Palestine. Not the most seaworthy of vessels, the Rafiach sank near the desolate Greek island of Syrna. Miraculously, the majority of passengers survived the shipwreck; many would later live out their lives in the new state of Israel. But the story behind the Rafiach's disastrous journey has been cloaked in mystery for years, with conflicting accounts from the ship's surviving passengers that only created additional confusion. Israeli documentary filmmaker Gad Aisen attempts to piece together the curious circumstances that brought the Rafiach to ruin. The key element to unlocking this riddle comes from a previously unknown journal by Mossad agent Abraham Lichovski, who was part of the planning team that secured the Rafiach and helped to spirit its passengers out of the wretchedness of war-ruined Europe. Aisen relies on highly stylized animation to illustrate the details of Lichovski's journal, which somewhat lessens the dramatic elements of the story, but the more powerful aspects surface when some of the ship's remaining survivors visit Syrna, a journey that unleashes a whirlwind of harsh memories and bittersweet emotions. Offering a poignant reminder of how the Holocaust continues to impact people in today's world, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)