The Birch-Tree Meadow

The Birch-Tree Meadow

2003 · 88 min · ★ 7.6 · Drama

Myriam, a survivor of the concentration camp at Auschwitz, is a filmmaker and journalist who has spent many years living abroad. She takes part in a memorial event at the town hall in Paris commemorating the liberation of the camp, where she wins a flight to Cracow. At first she refuses to accept the prize, then decides to go.

Directed by Marceline Loridan-Ivens · Written by Jeanne Moreau

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Netflix

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 7m together

The Birch-Tree Meadow

In Praise of Love

Both from Marceline Loridan-Ivens.

More from Marceline Loridan-IvensSee all →

Algeria, Year ZeroAlgeria, Year Zero · 1965
Algeria, Year Zero
★ 10.01965
MovieDocumentary
Documentary on the beginnings of Algerian independence filmed during the summer of 1962 in Algiers. The film was banned in France and Algeria but won the Grand Prize at the Leipzig International Film Festival in 1965. Out of friendship, the production company Images de France sent an operator, Bruno Muel, who later declared: "For those who were called to Algeria (for me, 1956-58), participating in a film on independence was a victory over horror, lies and absurdity. It was also the beginning of my commitment to the cinema."
The Threatening SkyThe Threatening Sky · 1966
The Threatening Sky
★ 9.51966
MovieDocumentaryWar
This documentary presents the Vietnam War as seen from within Vietnam, focusing on civilian life, industrial and agricultural labor, and organized resistance under sustained aerial bombardment. Introduced by Bertrand Russell, the film situates the conflict within a broader history of anti-occupation struggles, drawing parallels to World War II resistance movements. Footage includes interviews with Vietnamese leaders, scenes of air defense, and mass political mobilization.
The People and Their GunsThe People and Their Guns · 1970
The People and Their Guns
★ 9.01970
MovieDocumentary
Filmed in Laos in 1968, this four-part documentary examines the armed struggle against foreign intervention during the Indochina conflicts. The film focuses on the relationship between the population and guerrilla forces engaged in the war.
Comment Yukong déplaça les montagnesComment Yukong déplaça les montagnes · 1976
Comment Yukong déplaça les montagnes
★ 9.01976
SeriesDocumentary
The Pharmacy: ShanghaiThe Pharmacy: Shanghai · 1976
The Pharmacy: Shanghai
★ 8.01976
MovieDocumentary
Filmed inside Pharmacy No. 3 in Shanghai, Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan-Ivens document the daily work of a state pharmacy that functions as both a dispensary and a neighborhood medical center. The film focuses on routine interactions between staff and patients, revealing an integrated model of urban healthcare in 1970s China.
Far from VietnamFar from Vietnam · 1967
Far from Vietnam
★ 7.21967
MovieDocumentaryWar
In seven different parts, Godard, Ivens, Klein, Lelouch, Marker, Resnais, and Varda show their sympathy for the North-Vietnamese army during the Vietnam War.
The 17th ParallelThe 17th Parallel · 1968
The 17th Parallel
★ 7.11968
MovieWarDocumentary
On the border of North and South Vietnam, civilians live underground and cultivate their land in the dead of night, farmers take up arms, and bombs fall like clockwork. Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan’s record of daily life in one of the most volatile regions of a war-torn, divided country is both a hazardous piece of first-hand journalism and a shattering work in its own right, simmering with barely repressed anger.
How Yukong Moved the MountainsHow Yukong Moved the Mountains · 1976
How Yukong Moved the Mountains
★ 7.01976
MovieDocumentary
From 1972 until 1974, Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan, along with a Chinese film crew, documented the last days of the Cultural Revolution, marking the end of an era. The vast amount of footage they shot was edited into 14 films of varying lengths. Focusing on ordinary people spread over a wide geographic area—many of whom were living and working in collectives—the filmmakers recorded a unique moment in history, and also captured some of the more enduring aspects of Chinese culture.
The Football IncidentThe Football Incident · 1976
The Football Incident
★ 7.01976
MovieDocumentary
A César award winning documentary about a high school in Beijing where a student throws a ball in the direction of the teacher who had just asked them to stop playing. The class then meets to discuss this problem.
In Praise of LoveIn Praise of Love · 2001
In Praise of Love
★ 6.52001
MovieDrama
Someone we hear talking - but whom we do not see - speaks of a project which describes the four key moments of love: meeting, physical passion, arguments/separation and making up. This project is to be told through three couples: young, adult and old. We do not know if the project is for a play, a film, a novel or an opera. The author of the project is always accompanied by a kind of servant. Meanwhile, two years earlier, an American civil servant meets with an elderly French couple who had fought in the Resistance during World War II, brokering a deal with a Hollywood director to buy the rights to tell their story. The members of the old couple's family discuss heatedly questions of nation, memory and history.
God's OfficesGod's Offices · 2008
God's Offices
★ 6.52008
MovieComedyDrama
A realist dramedy about dedicated social workers who devote their long shifts to helping pregnant women.
A Tale of the WindA Tale of the Wind · 1989
A Tale of the Wind
★ 6.51989
MovieDocumentary
It is an autobiographical fiction starring Ivens as an old man who has spent his life trying to "tame the wind and harness the sea" by capturing them on film.
The KazakhsThe Kazakhs · 1977
The Kazakhs
★ 6.01977
MovieDocumentary
This documentary examines the lives of the Kazakh ethnic minority in western China at the end of the Cultural Revolution. Directed by Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan-Ivens, the film observes everyday life, work, and cultural traditions within a region shaped by political and social transition.
The UyghursThe Uyghurs · 1977
The Uyghurs
★ 6.01977
MovieDocumentary
Filmed in western China in the late 1970s, this documentary portrays the Uyghur people, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority living in the Xinjiang region. Directed by Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan-Ivens, the film documents daily life and cultural practices during the closing years of the Cultural Revolution, situating Uyghur identity within the broader political and social framework of the People’s Republic of China.
Golem, the Spirit of ExileGolem, the Spirit of Exile · 1992
Golem, the Spirit of Exile
★ 5.01992
MovieDrama
An allegory of the Golem, a Jewish mythical creature personifying displacement and exile, this film tells the story of a woman (similar to the biblical Ruth) and her sisters, who are forced into exile after the death of their husbands. It is set in 1990s Paris, where the director was living in self-imposed exile following the ban on his 1982 documentary in Israel. The recurring theme of the film is migrations and unrooting, like the legendary Golem.
L'Anniversaire de BambouL'Anniversaire de Bambou · 2012
L'Anniversaire de Bambou
2012
MovieDocumentary
Patrick Deval, known as Bambou, the author of the cult film Acéphale, is celebrating his birthday.

More Like This

More on NetflixSee all →

Animals
NEW
Animals · 2026
Animals
★ 7.12026
MovieThrillerDrama
When the son of an L.A. mayoral candidate is kidnapped, he and his wife have a few hours to come up with the ransom payment. With most of their money spent on his political campaign, they have to get their hands dirty and expose a side of their lives they never intended to see the light of day.
Reporting Live
NEW
Reporting Live · 2026
Reporting Live
★ 7.92026
MovieCrimeThriller
A young reporter and her reluctant cameraman chase a story, only to get entangled in an illegal sand-mining racket run by a ruthless syndicate.
The Wild RobotThe Wild Robot · 2024
The Wild Robot
★ 8.32024
MovieFamilyAnimation
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Spider-Man: No Way HomeSpider-Man: No Way Home · 2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home
★ 7.92021
MovieActionAdventure
Peter Parker is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
Spirited AwaySpirited Away · 2001
Spirited Away
★ 8.52001
MovieAnimationFamily
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
Shrek Forever AfterShrek Forever After · 2010
Shrek Forever After
★ 6.42010
MovieComedyAdventure
A midlife-crisis burdened Shrek, longing for the days of when he felt like a real ogre, makes a pact with magic deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin. But when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.
The GodfatherThe Godfather · 1972
The Godfather
★ 8.71972
MovieDramaCrime
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
Transformers OneTransformers One · 2024
Transformers One
★ 8.02024
MovieAnimationScience Fiction
The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.
The Storm
NEW
The Storm · 2026
The Storm
★ 7.12026
MovieComedyDrama
When a storm traps old university pals at a luxury lodge, their civilized birthday bash spirals into a cyclone of betrayals, grudges and unfiltered chaos.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity CastleDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle · 2025
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
★ 8.82025
MovieAnimationAction
The Demon Slayer Corps are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight as the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji begins.
Facing El ChapoFacing El Chapo · 2026
Facing El Chapo
★ 8.82026
MovieCrimeAction
Two Mexican officers must survive the final hours of their shift after crossing a ruthless cartel boss.
Gladiator IIGladiator II · 2024
Gladiator II
★ 6.62024
MovieActionAdventure
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Howl's Moving CastleHowl's Moving Castle · 2004
Howl's Moving Castle
★ 8.42004
MovieFantasyAnimation
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.
Ice Age: Dawn of the DinosaursIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs · 2009
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
★ 6.82009
MovieAnimationComedy
Times are changing for Manny the moody mammoth, Sid the motor mouthed sloth and Diego the crafty saber-toothed tiger. Life heats up for our heroes when they meet some new and none-too-friendly neighbors – the mighty dinosaurs.
Ice Age: Continental DriftIce Age: Continental Drift · 2012
Ice Age: Continental Drift
★ 6.42012
MovieAnimationComedy
Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.
KPop Demon HuntersKPop Demon Hunters · 2025
KPop Demon Hunters
★ 8.02025
MovieFantasyMusic
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
War MachineWar Machine · 2026
War Machine
★ 7.52026
MovieActionScience Fiction
On one last grueling mission during Army Ranger training, a combat engineer must lead his unit in a fight against a giant otherworldly killing machine.
No Strings AttachedNo Strings Attached · 2011
No Strings Attached
★ 6.32011
MovieComedyRomance
Emma is a busy doctor who sets up a seemingly perfect arrangement when she offers her best friend Adam a relationship with one rule: No strings attached. But when a fling becomes a thing, can sex friends stay best friends?
Evil Dead BurnEvil Dead Burn · 2026
Evil Dead Burn
★ 7.62026
MovieHorror
After her husband's abrupt death, Alice seeks solace with his remaining family — descendants of a leading researcher on demonic possession. As her in-laws transform one by one into creatures that feed on fear, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life survive even in death.
White ChicksWhite Chicks · 2004
White Chicks
★ 7.02004
MovieComedyCrime
Two FBI agent brothers, Marcus and Kevin Copeland, accidentally foil a drug bust. To avoid being fired they accept a mission escorting a pair of socialites to the Hamptons--but when the girls are disfigured in a car accident, they refuse to go. Left without options, Marcus and Kevin decide to pose as the sisters, transforming themselves from black men into rich white women.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter