Five men, five ordinary old men. Or so it seemed. But behind the wrinkled face was an unusual war story. A story that I did not know until recently and more importantly: a story that should not be there, the men know.
The five, seated against a black background, radiated all sorts of things. Sadness, impotence, anger, shame, despair, resignation also. But it was mainly their loneliness that struck me. They’ve been careful all their lives. If someone talks about the Second World War, you have to pay attention. Have white lies ready. Not even a betrothed and new in-laws were notified. Until now, now that they are well into their 90s. Now it’s time to share their story with the general public, which is the story of about 500 fellow sufferers. With every word they uttered, the viewer saw that one unspoken question flicker in their eyes: you do believe me, don’t you?