director: Assaf Lapid
producer: Saar Yogev, Naomi Levari, Guy Hodes / Black Sheep Film Productions Ltd.
cast: Sharon Alexander
runtime: 81min
language: Hebrew, English, Dutch, Yiddish
Year of Production: 2023
Countries of Production: Israel, Germany
Ka.Tzetnik, the mysterious holocaust writer who was embraced by millions worldwide, returns from revolutionary LSD treatments with a new message.
Yehiel De-Nur lived a life shrouded in secrecy, concealing his identity behind the pseudonym Ka.tzetnik. The books he wrote sold millions of copies and shaped the way readers worldwide imagined the Holocaust.
Despite attempts by reporters and researchers to uncover his true identity, he remained elusive. The rumors claimed that he writes all night long, in complete solitude, wearing his prisoner uniform from Auschwitz and burning his manuscripts by morning – turning him into a myth.
During the explosive Eichmann trial, Ka.tzetnik was forced to reveal his identity to the public as he is summoned to testify. In his iconic testimony, Ka.tzetnik withdraws to another dimension, coining Auschwitz as "The Other Planet" before collapsing on the stand, shocking the court and viewers worldwide.
Haunted by new nightmares rooted in his testimony, Ka.tzetnik turns to experimental LSD treatment in the Netherlands. For over a year, he repeatedly visits his memories of Auschwitz, yearning to find clarity and peace. Eventually, the treatments lead him to a new perception of Auschwitz, which he publishes in his last book, "I Am the SS Man”.
The film explores the Ka.tzetnik enigma, shedding light on the person behind the myth, struggling to reconcile his traumatic past and return from The Other Planet.
