Willy Lindwer

Directing

Willy Lindwer

Born

1946-03-18 (80)

Known for

Directing

Credits

40 titles

Wolf "Willy" Lindwer (born 18 March 1946) is a Dutch documentary film producer, director, photographer and author. He is best known for his films on the Holocaust, Israel and the Middle East, Judaism and Christianity.

Known for

Empty Rooms: The Aftermath of Terror poster
NR

Dutch filmmaker Willy Lindwer and Russian author David Gurevich document the aftermath of the June 1, 2001 suicide bombing of Tel Aviv's Dolphinarium Disco, which killed 21 and wounded 105, many of them teenagers and many recent immigrants from post-Soviet Union states. The bulk of the film consists of the interviews with survivors and the victims' parents, all shot around the Tel Aviv area, including the location outside the Dolphinarium proper. It also makes extensive use of the footage of the night of the disaster and the home videos left behind by the victims.

Empty Rooms: The Aftermath of Terror

2002

Lost City poster
8.0

It tells the unknown story of the Amsterdam city tram that collaborated with the Nazis and deported tens of thousands of Jews to the train stations on their way to the death camps. We experience their last tram ride.

Lost City

2024

No artwork available
NR

Rebellious City is a documentary about the Provo movement and the city of Amsterdam in the sixties.

Rebellious City

2015

Goodbye Holland: The Destruction of Dutch Jewry poster
NR

Shocking film, uncovering the painful truth about indifference to, and collaboration with the Nazis in WWII, when 75 percent of the Jews in the Netherlands were annihilated. This investigation into the dark past explains why Anne Frank and 100,000 other Dutch Jews were deported by Dutch officials. Why did the Dutch people allow 78% of the Jews to be deported?

Goodbye Holland: The Destruction of Dutch Jewry

2004

Diary of the Last Heroes: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943 poster
NR

In this historical documentary, the 5 surviving members of the Jewish high command tell in details the gripping story of the Warsaw Ghetto revolt, a unique event in Jewish as well as non-Jewish history. For the first time the Jews took up arms against the Nazies. In 1943 the remaining 50,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto realised that there was no hope that any of them would survive the holocaust.

Diary of the Last Heroes: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943

1993

No artwork available
NR

The many, sometimes beautiful, relics and special places, to which so many were attracted - to this day - are ideally suited for a range of interesting TV programs. It's not just Jewish sites. The Holy Land has a magnetic attraction for many and it is the broad spectrum of cultures that together provide a fascinating picture: Magic Israel.

Magical Israel: A Journey Through 5,000 Years of History

2010

Behind the camera

Empty Rooms: The Aftermath of Terror poster
NR

Dutch filmmaker Willy Lindwer and Russian author David Gurevich document the aftermath of the June 1, 2001 suicide bombing of Tel Aviv's Dolphinarium Disco, which killed 21 and wounded 105, many of them teenagers and many recent immigrants from post-Soviet Union states. The bulk of the film consists of the interviews with survivors and the victims' parents, all shot around the Tel Aviv area, including the location outside the Dolphinarium proper. It also makes extensive use of the footage of the night of the disaster and the home videos left behind by the victims.

Empty Rooms: The Aftermath of Terror

2002

Lost City poster
8.0

It tells the unknown story of the Amsterdam city tram that collaborated with the Nazis and deported tens of thousands of Jews to the train stations on their way to the death camps. We experience their last tram ride.

Lost City

2024

Lost City poster
8.0

It tells the unknown story of the Amsterdam city tram that collaborated with the Nazis and deported tens of thousands of Jews to the train stations on their way to the death camps. We experience their last tram ride.

Lost City

2024

No artwork available
NR

Rebellious City is a documentary about the Provo movement and the city of Amsterdam in the sixties.

Rebellious City

2015

No artwork available
NR

Rebellious City is a documentary about the Provo movement and the city of Amsterdam in the sixties.

Rebellious City

2015

Goodbye Holland: The Destruction of Dutch Jewry poster
NR

Shocking film, uncovering the painful truth about indifference to, and collaboration with the Nazis in WWII, when 75 percent of the Jews in the Netherlands were annihilated. This investigation into the dark past explains why Anne Frank and 100,000 other Dutch Jews were deported by Dutch officials. Why did the Dutch people allow 78% of the Jews to be deported?

Goodbye Holland: The Destruction of Dutch Jewry

2004

Diary of the Last Heroes: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943 poster
NR

In this historical documentary, the 5 surviving members of the Jewish high command tell in details the gripping story of the Warsaw Ghetto revolt, a unique event in Jewish as well as non-Jewish history. For the first time the Jews took up arms against the Nazies. In 1943 the remaining 50,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto realised that there was no hope that any of them would survive the holocaust.

Diary of the Last Heroes: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943

1993

No artwork available
NR

The many, sometimes beautiful, relics and special places, to which so many were attracted - to this day - are ideally suited for a range of interesting TV programs. It's not just Jewish sites. The Holy Land has a magnetic attraction for many and it is the broad spectrum of cultures that together provide a fascinating picture: Magic Israel.

Magical Israel: A Journey Through 5,000 Years of History

2010

The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank poster
8.5

Anne Frank's surviving friends tell the horrifying story that begins where her famous diary leaves off, and for the first time the concentration camp experiences of Anne and her family are recounted. Among the eyewitnesses is Anne Frank's closest friend, Hannah Pick, identified as 'Lies Goosens' in Anne's diary. She was filmed at several locations where she had been with Anne, including the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank

1988

The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank poster
8.5

Anne Frank's surviving friends tell the horrifying story that begins where her famous diary leaves off, and for the first time the concentration camp experiences of Anne and her family are recounted. Among the eyewitnesses is Anne Frank's closest friend, Hannah Pick, identified as 'Lies Goosens' in Anne's diary. She was filmed at several locations where she had been with Anne, including the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank

1988

D'vekut: Hasidism and Jewish Mysticism poster
NR

The fascinating story of Hasidism and Jewish mysticism in Israel, featuring rarely seen footage inside a world unknown to many people.

D'vekut: Hasidism and Jewish Mysticism

2000

No artwork available
NR

Presented and narrated by James Mason, the world famous actor and UN ambassador. A film about the fate of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Film produced in collaboration with UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

House Without Foundation

1984

No artwork available
NR

Mr. Israel, The Shimon Peres Story, produced in 2008, tells the compelling history of the State of Israel through the eyes of Israel's octogenarian president who has been forging Israel's destiny since its founding in 1948.

Mr. Israel, The Shimon Peres Story

2008

No artwork available
NR

The dramatic story of Mr. Abraham Ascher and Professor David Cohen, the leaders of the Jewish community of Amsterdam. They became the heads of the Jewish Council in 1941 and also an instrument in the hands of the Nazis and their murderous policy in deporting the Dutch Jews.

The Fatal Dilemma: The Jewish Council of Amsterdam 1941-1943

1995

No artwork available
NR

The first documentary about the life and achievements of Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem for 28 years (1965 - 1993). Kollek tells his fascinating life story from his youth in Vienna to his active involvement in the creation and development of the State of Israel, especially the establishment of close ties with the U.S. The documentary profiles a unique man, whose passion and determination made Jerusalem what it is today.

Teddy Kollek: From Vienna to Jerusalem

1994

No artwork available
NR

Simon Wiesenthal, the world's most famous Nazi hunter, tells his life story for the first time: his youth in the Ukraine, his World War II experiences in various concentration camps and the significance of his work in light of today's growing neo-Nazi movement in Europe.

Simon Wiesenthal: Freedom is Not a Gift from Heaven

1994

No artwork available
NR

A film about the Dutch National Ballet and its three world famous choreographers.

Live-Life

1979

No artwork available
NR

Produced by Emmy Award-winner Willy Lindwer, this three-volume program examines important events and locations in Christian history, and traces the development of a community that would mark the beginning of Christianity. Delving into 2,000 years of the religion's history, viewers explore Christianity's roots in Bethelem, Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee, as well as look at the role of Christians in modern society.

Miracle of Faith: 2000 Years Christian Heritage in The Holy Land

1999

No artwork available
NR

Stuart Eizenstat, Undersecretary of State of the United States during the Clinton administration, initiated a wide ranging investigation into the role of the neutral countries during the Second World War. His first 'Eizenstat report', that was published in may 1997 accused Switzerland of having assisted in prolonging the war by its serving as a banker for the Nazi regime. This report caused worldwide upheaval on the role of Switzerland as a neutral country.

Stuart Eizenstat: The Nazi Gold Reports

1998

No artwork available
NR

The film is based on the book In Memoriam by Guus Luijters. The gripping film Remembering a Murdered Child tells the story of 9 anonymous Dutch children who were deported from the Netherlands and murdered.

Remembering a Murdered Child

2012

No artwork available
NR

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is revolutionizing our society. One cannot think of life without computers, the Internet, satellites and mobile phones. They are turning our world into a global village. One continent is in danger of being left out of this digital revolution: Africa, a continent were peace, security and poverty reduction are amongst the complex issues governments are struggling with. We traveled to four countries in Africa (Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia and Ghana) to examine the different approaches and the attempts to bridge the internal and the international digital divide.

Africa Goes Digital: The Building of an Information Society

2005

No artwork available
NR

This film tells the incredible story of the unique cooperation during WWII of Arnold Douwes, a Christian, and the Jewish Max Leons. Together they saved hundreds of Jewish children in the eastern part of the Netherlands between 1942 and 1944. Mr. Douwes was awarded with the Yad Vashem medal.

Saved for Life

1997

No artwork available
10.0

A documentary about Jewish war orphans who were raised by Christian families. The film includes the gripping story of Halinka, a baby born in the Warsaw Ghetto whose parents threw her over the Ghetto wall where she was caught by a Polish policeman, and other remarkable stories of hidden children.

Child in Two Worlds: The Story of Jewish War Orphans

1993

No artwork available
NR

This film shows 16 moving interviews with Dutch non-Jewish citizens who maintained their position and helped the Nazis. The film also includes five interviews with Dutch Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. The Nazi's aim was to murder all Jews. In order to achieve this goal they were able to gain much assistance from the local populations throughout Europe. That happened also in Holland. Dutch police, civil servants, tram and train drivers and many others, all ordinary people, turned out to be of great help for the Nazi's. In this film a series of gripping interviews are shown with ordinary Dutch citizens who cooperated with the Nazi's by simply doing 'their job'. Most of them were no anti-Semites per se, nor pro German, they only 'did their duty'. Also Jewish survivors give their testimonies.

They did their Duty

2000

No artwork available
NR

The documentary tells the moving story of the ruined life of Manja Croiset, born in Amsterdam in 1946, and her lifelong journey through psychiatry. Manja is a second generation Dutch Jewish Holocaust survivor and is in therapy since she was 16 years of age. Manja's problem is never understood. She became a chronically ill psychiatric patient, and spent many years in psychiatric hospitals, was 'drugged', got electroschocks, was treated with LSD and uses her lifelong medication. She is constantly living with fears and nightmares. What went wrong at such a young age? Was ever asked for a cause, did she ever had an adequate treatment?

Manja, a life behind invisable bars

2013

No artwork available
NR

A moving short documentary film about the story of the Dutch painter Max Bueno de Mesquita and his survival of seven concentration camps. The film shows a series of dramatic paintings made by Max Bueno de Mesquita during his therapy to cure him from Concentration Camp-Syndrome.

What have they done to our girls?: The story of the painter Max Bueno de Mesquita

1977

No artwork available
NR

Discover Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, one of the world's bloodiest and most controversial sites, over which battles have been fought for thousands of years.

The Temple Mount Is Mine

2003

No artwork available
NR

"Anna's Silent Struggle" tells the moving story of Anna, today an 82 year old woman and how she managed to survive this death camp despite her handicap. For the hearing, Auschwitz is characterized as a place of horrible sounds; shouted commands, screaming, shooting and cries of torture. For the deaf, the terror was silent.

Anne's Silent Struggle

2008

No artwork available
NR

"Anna's Silent Struggle" tells the moving story of Anna, today an 82 year old woman and how she managed to survive this death camp despite her handicap. For the hearing, Auschwitz is characterized as a place of horrible sounds; shouted commands, screaming, shooting and cries of torture. For the deaf, the terror was silent.

Anne's Silent Struggle

2008

No artwork available
NR

A film about the Ashkenazi Jewish Community of Amsterdam, from 1735 until 1985.

The Jews and Their Mokum

1985

No artwork available
NR

Film commissioned by the Portuguese Jewish Community of Amsterdam.

Esnoga: The Portuguese Jewish Community of Amsterdam

1988

No artwork available
NR

Filmed in Botswana, about education in the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta.

People in Development: I am Their Eye

1981

No artwork available
NR

Film about people in Cameroon that have no access to finance. The basic aim is to support the socio-economic development of groups. This is put into practice both in the form of financial assistance and in the form of technical assistance, to stimulate financial self-reliance and to create a sustainable civil society. The film shows this unique approach in various parts of Cameroon including a fascinating sequence with the Pygmy in the Eastern part of Cameroon.

Cameroon: Working on Credit

2002

No artwork available
NR

A short film about the famous Dutch sculptor of the early 20th century.

The Art of Joseph Mendes da Costa

1977

No artwork available
NR

Filmed in Madagascar, about communication in past and present on this fascinating island.

People in Development: Between Kabary and Satellite

1984

No artwork available
NR

The first feature-length documentary about Israel's prime minister, murdered in 1995. His widow, Leah Rabin, tells of war and peace, duty and family, the life of Yitzhak Rabin and the story of Israel. The film was shot on location in the Middle East and the United States, and includes unique archival material. It is an intimate portrait of an impressive leader, profiled by the people who knew him best, those who loved him and those who fought him, with exclusive appearances by Leah Rabin, Yasser Arafat, Simon Peres, Henry Kissinger, Bill Clinton, General Uzi Narkis and many others.

Yitzhak Rabin: Warrior-Peacemaker

1998

No artwork available
NR

1.5 Million Jewish children were killed during the Holocaust. Many of those who survived were traumatized as the war changed their lives dramatically. This film tells the story of children during the Holocaust, some hidden and some survivors of concentration camps and their post-war traumatic experiences. A gripping account of 8 orphan child survivors: Itta Ben Haiem-Keller, Shewach Weiss, David de Levita, Haim Dasberg, Ruth Tatarko, Channa Cohen Harounoff-de Bock, Rachel Hollander and Haim Peles-Vleeschhouwer.

Children of the War

1995

No artwork available
NR

In this documentary, the sole surviving member of the Jewish high command looks back on the Warsaw Ghetto revolt, a unique event in Jewish as well as non-Jewish history: for the first time the Jews took up arms against the Nazis. In 1943 the remaining 50,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto realized that there was no hope that any of them would survive the holocaust. Dr. Marek Edelman, who never left Poland, is now a cardiologist in Lodz where in the 1980s he played a leading role in the then underground trade union Solidarity.

The Lonely Struggle: Marek Edelman, Last Hero of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

1988

No artwork available
NR

A film about Jewish life in the Dutch provinces before WWII.

I am from the Mediene

1984

No artwork available
NR

A film about the well known Dutch Jewish writer Siegfried van Praag (1899-2002), on the occasion of his 85 th birthday.

With Siegfried van Praag back to Jewish Amsterdam

1984