God on Trial (2008)

Awaiting their inevitable deaths at one of the worst concentration camps, a group of Jews make a rabbinical court to decide whether God has gone against the Holy Covenant and if He is the one guilty for their suffering.

Director:

Andy De Emmony (as Andy de Emmony)

Writer:

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Stars:

Joseph Muir, Josef Altin, Ashley Artus

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Muir	...	Kapo (as Joseph Alessi)
Josef Altin	...	Isaac
Ashley Artus	...	Ricard
Alexi Kaye Campbell	...	Doctor
Dominic Cooper	...	Moche
Lorcan Cranitch	...	Blockaltester
Stephen Dillane	...	Schmidt
Rupert Graves	...	Mordechai
François Guétary	...	Jacques (as Francois Guetary)
David de Keyser	...	Hugo
Agnieszka Liggett	...	Tour Guide
Louise Mardenborough	...	Emily
Eddie Marsan	...	Lieble
André Oumansky	...	Jacob (as Andre Oumansky)
Blake Ritson	...	Idek

Storyline

Wondering about the meaning and modalities of their triage, presumably to live or burn, Jewish Auschwitz barrack mates start to debate on how or why God can allow (his) people to suffer such fatal misery, which even further divides a devout father and his liberal son. They eventually form a Thora court, which hears theological argumentation as well as practical considerations.

---

Plot Keywords:

wasp | courage | tree | dog | physical examination | 

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French Polish Hebrew

Release Date:

9 November 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

God on Trial

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hat Trick Productions, BBC Scotland

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hat Trick has employed a rabbi to consult on the script.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Tour Guide: Unfortunately our admission is not inclusive in your tour price, so sorry you must pay. But, um, the good news it's only 10 zlotas, so not so very bad.

User Reviews

An excellent televisual drama

I watched the TV drama not knowing anything about the story of the trial of God. I found the writing to be emotive, considered and intelligent. The acting was of the highest quality, and the setting was perfectly geared to make the viewer feel, as much as possible, the oppressive environment in which the men found themselves. The way the story unfolded and the polarising views to be found were impressively handled. There are a lot of references made to Jewish history, however, when taken as a whole the need to know and understand Jewish history is not essential to the telling of the story and the explanation of our beliefs. I thought the drama was excellent. I would like to see this drama shown to pupils in school, I believe it would be an excellent educational tool, not only about the holocaust but about religion in general and where we place God in our lives.