Treasure

When it comes to our roots, how far is one willing to go for the truth? And, more importantly, what price can be put on that truth? For Ruth Rothwax (Lena Dunham) the truth may cost her her sanity….but also gain a deeper understanding of her family roots. Written by Julia von Heinz and John Quester and based on the book Too Many Men by Lily Brett, Treasure is a story of love, family and a journey of discovery that is a little less than perfect.

Set in 1991 Warsaw, Poland, American journalist Ruth Rothwax has decided that she wants to learn more about her family and the country that her parents left behind after World War II. But her father Edek (Stephen Fry) has other plans. A Holocaust survivor, Edek does everything within his power to try and derail Ruth’s itinerary to learn more about her Jewish heritage while trying to avoid the past he left behind. Enlisting the help of a local driver named Stefan (Zbigniew Zamachowski) to chauffeur the father/daughter duo around, Edek can mask some of his own insecurities to a point. But it is during the trip that Ruth and Edek are forced to confront the truths of their choices and, in turn, come to an understanding about one another.

Treasure is a film that plays to the vitalness of human connection and how families can hurt and heal one another. Von Heinz brings Brett’s story to the screen with possibly the most unusual casting, yet it works. Dunham and Fry bring Ruth and Edek’s characters to life with some wit, their respective brands of comedy and a desperation to hide what they consider the uglier parts of themselves. For Edek, he is determined to not relive any part of his past as a Holocaust survivor and leave it in the past….despite Ruth continually forcing him to face his own ghosts and come to terms with that darkness. However, Ruth is hypocritical and pursues her family’s story rather than coming to terms with her own story…despite Edek’s best efforts to get the truth out of his daughter. Apparently, that persistence doesn’t fall too far from the family tree.

One of the most poignant moments is when Ruth and Edek find themselves in Edek’s childhood home in Łódź. While Edek finds himself trying to use the same tactics to get out of reliving the past, he is vetoed by Ruth and quickly finds himself drawn to the items remaining in the apartment and how they are some of the only things that tie him to his life before the war. Despite his best efforts to try and accept the loss of those childhood memories, Ruth remains steadfast in giving her father a piece of his past…no matter the cost to her own sanity.

Not all family relationships are easy or perfect, but the love remains. For Ruth and Edek in the film Treasure, love comes with imperfections and a lot of barbs….yet they find common ground. And, in the end, their family roots and heritage are the real valuables in life.