Het zwijgen van Loe de Jong

Historian Loe de Jong (1914-2005) knew everything about occupied Holland during World War II. He published standard works and shared his knowledge in TV programmes. About his personal war experiences, he rarely spoke. After his demise, cleaning out his house, people found letters and pictures of Loe’s identical twin brother Sally who - like so many other relatives - had not survived the war. Simonka de Jong, the historian’s granddaughter, wonders why her grandfather withheld these letters. In this personal film, the documentary maker shows how Daan, Sally’s youngest son, uses the newfound documents to uncover lacunas in his own past. Daan about his uncle: ‘I’ve asked him many times if there were any letters that could be important to us. “Don’t worry”, he said. “Everything is in my books.”’ However, not everybody in the family is happy to see Daan stir in their sensitive past.