Join us for a screening of The Return from the Other Planet–a documentary film exploring the life of writer, Holocaust survivor, and pioneering psychonaut Yechiel De-Nur, also known by his alias, Ka.tzetnik. This screening will be followed by a Q+A with the film’s director Assaf Lapid moderated by Noa Osheroff.

Yehiel De-Nur lived a life shrouded in secrecy, concealing his identity behind the pseudonym Ka.tzetnik. The books he wrote sold millions of copies and shaped the way readers worldwide imagined the Holocaust.

Despite attempts by reporters and researchers to uncover his true identity, he remained elusive. The rumors claimed that he wrote all night long, in complete solitude, wearing his prisoner uniform from Auschwitz, and burning his manuscripts by morning–turning him into a myth.

During the explosive public trial of Nazi and Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann, Ka.tzetnik was forced to reveal his identity to the public as he was summoned to testify. In his iconic testimony, Ka.tzetnik withdrew into another dimension, famously describing Auschwitz as “the other planet” before collapsing on the witness stand, shocking the court and viewers worldwide.

Haunted by new nightmares rooted in his testimony, Ka.tzetnik turns to experimental LSD treatment in the Netherlands. For over a year, he repeatedly visited his memories of Auschwitz, yearning to find clarity and peace. Eventually, the treatments lead him to a new perception of Auschwitz, which he documented in his final book, I am the SS Man.

Assaf Lapid’s film The Return from the Other Planet explores the Ka.tzetnik enigma, shedding light on the person behind the mysth, struggling to reconcile his traumatic past and return from the other planet.

If price is a barrier to your participation in this program, please email info@theneighborhoodbk.org to request an accommodation.