3GNY has partnered with the JxJ festival to promote the film "You Had to be There." This is a fascinating and life-affirming investigation of the critical role of humor as a coping mechanism during the Holocaust. Israeli comedian Tal Friedman interviews survivors (even having a beer with two of them in a bar!), who shed light on the profundity and importance of keeping laughter alive, even in the bleakest and most horrific of circumstances.

YOU HAD TO BE THERE

Dirs. Avi Merkado-EttedguiYaron Niski | 55 min

Documentary, Virtual Screening Israel  2021
Hebrew with English subtitles

A fascinating and life-affirming investigation of the critical role of humor as a coping mechanism during the Holocaust. Israeli comedian Tal Friedman interviews survivors (even having a beer with two of them in bar!), who shed light on the profundity and importance of keeping laughter alive, even in the bleakest and most horrific of circumstances.

While the topic of humor in WWII ghettos and concentration camps has occasionally been broached on screen (The Producers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Last Laugh), this deftly executed documentary more directly brings the vital voice of survivors themselves into the conversation.

Their heroic, and occasionally downright hilarious stories, serve as an indelible reminder that our humanity—and with it, our ability to laugh—is the last thing that can be taken from us.

You can watch the film anytime between May 23rd and May 30th.

Purchase Film Here