The Return

The Return is, in a way, a journey film about four Polish woman (one of them actually Slovak but living in Poland) who either discover their Jewish roots or otherwise become 'affiliated' with Jewishness. More broadly, it's a film about searching for one's identity (as part of a minority group), in this case in modern day Poland, a fairly liberal, developed nation that's nonetheless extremely homogeneous compared to its Western neighbours.

The film follows the lives of four women living in Poland, who in one way or another, become closely attached to the Jewish diaspora and begin investigating their own identities. They're all different from each other and their stories deviate greatly, adding to the overall canvas of the greater tale. The director does a great job of following the four actresses across some period of time, and he picks up four strong feminist protagonists but their journey feels a bit too unique and particular to draw the viewer into generalizing that this is how it happens for everyone.

All in all, a well made documentary that offers a point of departure into many interesting discussions about identity, minority environments, seeking a sense of belonging, order, and overall nostalgia for things that once were.