The Long Way Home (1997)

This documentary reports events for European Jews from the fall of the Third Reich in 1945 to the formation of the state of Israel in 1948, arguing that creating the Israeli state was necessary given the nature of post-war Europe for these survivors. We see death in concentration camps after liberation, from disease or even from eating too much. We learn of pogroms murdering those who return home. We see the squalor of displaced persons camps. Facing strict British immigration limits into Palestine, many sought passage illegally, often ending up in locked camps in Cyprus. Against this backdrop, Jews in Palestine, Truman in the White House, and UN delegates debate Israel's formation.

1998: Oscar Winner: Best Documentary