JIFF: All I Had Was Nothingness

Je n’avais que le néant – "Shoah" par Lanzmann

“You will never see a more haunting road movie.” – The Jewish Chronicle

“A captivating film that can be both a supplement or an introduction to the major and eternal work that Shoah is and forever will be.” – Cineuropa

“The ‘why’ of the Holocaust is hauntingly present.” – The Film Stage

This reverential and thrilling documentary is tantamount to an unofficial “making of” film of the monumental 1985 Holocaust documentary Shoah by Claude Lanzmann, also screening at JIFF 2025. Pieced together from over 220 hours of Lanzmann’s own unused footage, it grants fresh perspective on the filmmaker’s process, setbacks and philosophical musings over the 12 years it took to make his most defining work.

Unlike Shoah, Lanzmann is present in almost every shot of this film, and director Guillaume Ribot uses passages from Lanzmann’s memoir, ‘The Patagonian Hare’, as narration. This reveals the unseen work that went into making Shoah, including Lanzmann’s filmmaking methods, struggles obtaining financing, and covert tactics used to gain access to interviewees such as fake passports and hidden cameras, sometimes landing Lanzmann in volatile situations when these tactics are discovered.

Providentially, this year marks 40 years since Shoah released, 80 years since the end of World War II and what would have been Lanzmann’s 100th birthday.

Rating

Unclassified 15+

Duration

94 min

Country

France

Language

French, English, German, Polish (English subtitles)

Cast

Claude Lanzmann

Director

Guillaume Ribot