How are historical events perceived by different people from different cultures around the world? That’s a question posed by writer/director Jake Paltrow in his latest film, June Zero, a historical drama and a bit of a gear shift for him. Paltrow previously directed the comedy The Good Night, documentary De Palma, and the 2014 sci-fi thriller Young Ones which I think is an overlooked gem.
Paltrow centers his film around the 1961 trial of Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, a key organizer of the Holocaust. Three very different characters: a Jewish Moroccan prison guard, an Israeli police investigator and Holocaust survivor, and a 13-year-old child all all deal with the ramifications and have their own perceptions of the same events.
The film stars Noam Ovadia, Tzahi Grad, Yoav Levi, Tom Hagi, Joy Rieger, Ami Smolarchik, Rotem Kainan, Adam Gabai and Koby Aderet.
Here’s the synopsis: The 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, a principal architect of the Holocaust, is revisited in a gripping and surprising new vision from American filmmaker Jake Paltrow. Based on true accounts, June Zero is told from the unique perspectives of three distinct figures: Eichmann’s Jewish Moroccan prison guard, an Israeli police investigator who also happens to be a Holocaust survivor, and a precocious and clever 13-year-old Libyan immigrant.
Entirely shot on 16mm film, Paltrow’s vividly textured work brings to life the varied experiences of these characters, emphasizing that the same historical events are often perceived differently by people around the world. June Zero underscores the notion that shared traumas have the power to forge the strongest bonds and give rise to unexpected moments of triumph and connection. As the film delves into the complexities of the human
experience during this pivotal trial, it serves as a poignant reminder that history’s impact can be both diverse and unifying.
Cohen Media Group will release June Zero into New York theaters on June 28th, followed by Los Angeles on July 5th. A national rollout begins on July 12th.