Film Unfinished Summary

“A Film Unfinished” is a documentary about a film found a decade after world war two in a concrete vault in a wooded area containing the remainder of Nazi propaganda. The subject of the film is the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw Poland. Although this film is assumed to be Nazi propaganda, the true purpose of the film is unclear because it is unfinished. The film had no opening or ending credits, and the title on the box that held in simply said “The Ghetto”. The scenes shot for this film ranged greatly between rich poor, staged and not staged, daily life and special occasions, color and non color. The different social classes in the ghetto were captured in this film. The upper class scenes were usually staged by actors and it conveyed that there were Jews still living comfortable lives with all the luxuries they had before. Meanwhile, the lower class Jews were filmed begging for money, sifting through garbage, and were usually not staged. The condition of the poor Jews was appalling and shocking. There were many people dying, and they were placed on the sidewalk until they could be picked up. The deceased Jews were taken to the cemetery to be placed in a mass grave. The daily life of the Jews is shown by scenes of people trading, purchasing food, and their means of transportation. The Jewish people were expected to participate in many Jewish rituals, and events for the film such as a circumcision, a funeral, and parties thrown by the upper class, however some of them were not accurate Jewish practices. The intent of the film is thought to be to show folk Jewish culture, and also that the ghettos were an acceptable place for the Jews to live, but the true purpose remains a mystery.