Treasure

The third part of my “Aftermath Trilogy”: this time, the story told is about a representative of the second generation, Ruth Rothwax, daughter of an Auschwitz survivor. Her week-long journey with her father Edek takes her to Poland, including Lodz, where he was born. This is also where Max Brett, Lily Brett’s father, was born. The movie is based on Lily Brett’s novel “Too Many Men.” Once again, it arose from my mother’s influence; she had given me Lily Brett’s novels at an early age. I love Brett’s female characters and the warmth and humor with which she approaches this horrific subject. I am grateful that I was able to cast Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry, two actors who have links to the subject matter in their own families. They stood by me, helping to underline that even after 80 years, the Holocaust still needs to be talked about, as it has not been fully processed yet. Lena Dunham was also ideal for the role because she understood Lily’s approach to mental and physical female health, body image, and patriarchal ideals of beauty, and succeeded in conveying all this on screen. A complex female character, not a “strong woman.” That’s an overused term in my industry, and I dislike it very much. If anything, I tell the stories of insecure