The Alien's Place (1979) is a highly personal testimony of a young man who asks himself what his being Jewish means to him. It is a documentary on Jewish identity and all its political implications. The bulk of the film consists of discussions with several Dutch Jews about the many different sides to being a Jew, an impression of life in Israel and the way the Palestinian question is being dealt with.
Highly controversial in its day, the film was broadcast in many countries and released in the USA where it had its premiere in New York.
Rudolf van den Berg's notes: Feeling almost shy, I began to work on a very personal theme: what does it mean to be Jewish? Making the film confronted me not only with the Holocaust survivor's predicament but also with political reality in the Middle East. My personal quest proved to be an explosive mixture that brought the film not only to Dutch front pages but also found acclaim in the New York Times.
