By Naomi Firsht
1 min read
A Czech reality television show that sought to recreate life under the Nazi occupation has come under fire.
In Holiday of the Proctectorate, three generations of a family spend two months living among actors who play Nazi soldiers and other residents of their hamlet. They wear period dress and have to survive on rations. If the family can endure the conditions, they win a prize. Filmed in 2014 and currently being broadcast by Ceská Televize, the series includes episodes with titles such as With the Gestapo at my back and is set in the Bohemia and Moravia area, which was ruled by a puppet government during the war.
"I spent a long time looking for a concept that would allow me to show life in another era while ensuring the highest level of authenticity," said director Zora Cejnkova.
The series has be criticised by some observers, however. Times of Israel columnist Renee Ghert-Zand wrote: "Fortunately for the family, they will not be treated like the 82,309 Jews who lived in the protectorate and were deported by the Nazis to concentration and death camps or were killed by Czech collaborators."
Another critic asked: "What are they going to do next? Big Brother Auschwitz?"