940.54

NEVER FORGET  (1991)

Nev

Based on a true incident when Holocaust survivor Mel Mermelstein was challenged by a professional hate organization called “The Institute of Historical Review” to prove in a court of law that anyone was gassed at Auschwitz. Stars Leonard Nimoy. A related newspaper article is available on file.

1 hr. 35 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

940.53

THE NEW YORK TIMES: LIVE FROM THE PAST—THE DEATH CAMPS,

Nyt

1935-1945  (1995)

The main focus of this film is to show that the death camps and atrocities of the Holocaust are real and did happen. During the first 10 minutes, Elie Wiesel provides an eyewitness account, while the camera reveals what happened in the camps. Then Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter/editor/columnist A. M. Rosenthal addresses key questions, accompanied by appropriate film footage. The questions include “What did ordinary Germans know about the Holocaust?” “What was their responsibility?” “Why should non-Jewish Germans be concerned about what happened to the Jews?” and “What lessons can we learn about the Holocaust today?” Note: Includes graphic scenes of atrocities. A study guide is available as well as a New York Times poster and 20 reproducible reprints of articles which appeared in The New York Times during 1945.

17 min.  AGE: Adult

940.53

THE NEW YORK TIMES: LIVE FROM THE PAST—THE SEEDS OF THE HOLOCAUST, 1933-1935 

Nyt

 (1995)

This film provides a brief but succinct overview of the beginnings of the Holocaust and its causes, using archival footage. Commentary is made both by Elie Wiesel and by A. M. Rosenthal, who has been associated with The New York Times for over 50 years. Issues dealt with include “How was Hitler able to take control of Germany?” “Who was responsible for Hitler?” and “Why were the Jews singled out for persecution?” An excellent introduction to the Holocaust and perfect for classroom use. Note: A study guide is available as well as a New York Times poster and 14 reproducible reprints of articles which appeared in The New York Times during 1933-1935.

17 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

F

NEWLAND  (1994)

New

Poignant drama about a young sister and brother who travel alone from war-ravaged Europe to the new land of Israel, hoping to find the mother they lost in a concentration camp. A powerful portrait of life in the refugee camps of early Israel, where survivors from many countries and backgrounds were thrown together to live under poor and crowded conditions. The film presents a stark and dark picture of life in a refugee camp which illustrates the physical and psychological effects the Holocaust had on its survivors. Note: There is a brief scene of a sexual encounter about 18 minutes into the film, as well as a brief scene with partial nudity. Also, portions of the film are extremely disturbing to view due to the nature of the subject matter. Adult groups may wish to first use The Long Way Home for a historical view of this period, and then follow up with Newland or The Summer of Aviya for a more personal perspective.

In Hebrew with subtitles. 1 hr. 47 min.  AGE: Adult

JHVC

940.53

Night and Fog  (1955)

Nig

The essential fact of the Holocaust—that millions of lives were extinguished for arbitrary, political reasons—is brought home in Alain Resnais's harrowing 1955 documentary. Every aspect of the Nazi orchestra of death, from the roundup and labeling of the victims to their eventual death in the gas chambers, is shown. Contrasting images of the camps during the war with the desolate, overgrown, and run-down edifices that exist in the present, the film challenges its viewers not to forget what happened even as the reminders dwindle. "No description, no shot can restore [the camps'] true dimension," the narrator says. Still, Night and Fog comes as close as it is possible to get to the horrors of the concentration camps. Note: Includes extremely graphic material. Unsuitable for school classrooms.

Color/B&W. 34 min.  AGE: Adults Only

940.53

NIGHTMARE: THE IMMIGRATION OF JOACHIM AND RACHEL (1988)

Nig

Thirteen-year-old Joachim and his younger sister, Rachel, escape the Warsaw Ghetto through the sewers after watching their parents being arrested. They are caught by the Nazis, jump from a death train and are saved by the Polish underground. After the war they join an uncle in New York. This fast-paced story is told in flashbacks and emotionally engages the audience. Study guide available. Note: An excellent choice of Holocaust drama for teen audiences.

24 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

940.53

NOT LIKE SHEEP TO THE SLAUGHTER: THE STORY OF THE BIALYSTOK GHETTO (1990)

Not

Documentary about 24-year-old Mordechai Tenenbaum and his small group of resistance fighters who fought the Nazis when they tried to eradicate the Bialystok Ghetto in the summer of 1943. The film incorporates interviews with Tenenbaum’s sister, people who served in the resistance, as well as residents of Bialystok who survived the attack. Includes black-and-white archival film footage in addition to many segments from Nazi propaganda films. Viewers see what these resistance fighters were up against, and how limited their options were.

Color/B&W. 2 hrs. 30 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

JHVC

940.53

Now… After All These Years  (1981)

Now

In the 1920’s, Rhina was the only Prussian village whose population was evenly divided between Jews and Christians. Jews had lived there for generations and were integrated into the local economy. Under the Nazis the town's synagogue was burned, windows were smashed, and Jews were beaten; those who did not escape were arrested and deported. Today, the town has no Jewish population. How do current residents of Rhina recall that time? In Now… After All These Years, a German filmmaker tries to reconstitute Rhina's history by talking to Jewish survivors living in New York and to the Germans who remain. Everywhere in Rhina he is met with denial, avowed ignorance, and an angry refusal to confront the past. The residents' evasive responses reveal much about the climate leading up to the Holocaust as well as the unwillingness of ordinary men and women to acknowledge or atone for their part in it.

1 hr.  AGE: 12 to Adult

Beautifully filmed drama (based on the true story by Stephanie Zweig) about a Jewish family who flee Nazi Germany in 1937 for safety on a farm in Kenya, Africa. Walter Redlich, a Jewish lawyer in Nazi Germany, sees the growing threat of the Nazis and seeks a safe haven for his family and friends. He procures a job as a cattle farmer in Kenya, Africa – one of the few places that will accept Jewish refugees. He sends for his wife, Jettel, and his 5-year-old daughter, Regina – but the rest of his family and acquaintances opt to stay in Germany, feeling that the Nazis are simply a passing phase. Life in Kenya is difficult and quite different from their privileged style of living in Germany. Marital conflicts erupt, and Jettel longs for the comfort and culture of home. Their daughter, Regina, adapts well to her new home and grows especially close to the family’s black cook, Owuor. Over a ten-year period, these characters and their relationships evolve – as does their relationship with the land that became their haven. By the end of the film, the Redlichs must face some very difficult decisions as to which direction their futures will lead. Note: Rated R (includes some brief nudity and sexual situations). A fascinating film showing Jewish survival in an unusual environment.

In German, English and Swahili.  2 hrs. 22 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

Alex Baldwin plays U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson in this TNT made-for-TV mini-series about the Nuremberg trials. Unlike the classic Judgment at Nuremberg, this film uses real names – and aims to dramatize what actually happened at the Nuremberg trials. Jackson’s aim was to represent the Allies and to prosecute high-ranking Nazis for their crimes against humanity. The film also examines the psychology of the Nazis on trial, examining what type of individuals could commit such heinous crimes. Based on the book Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial by Joseph Persico. Also stars Jill Hennessey, Brian Cox, Max Von Sydow and Christopher Plummer. Brian Cox won an Emmy Award for his incredible performance at Nazi Herman Goering. Goering was a shrewd and manipulative man who could quickly shift from charismatic and charming to a brutal psycho. Note: As a drama, this film should hold the viewer’s attention and give them some feeling for what these trials were about. It does not have the powerful impact of the film, Judgment at Nuremberg, even though Nuremberg attempts to follow the details of the actual Nuremberg trials, where Judgment at Nuremberg is more fictionalized. Note: One brief section during the trials contains some actual graphic black and white footage of liberation of the concentration camps.

2 hr. 59 min.  AGE:  14 to Adult

940.54

NUREMBERG TRIALS  (n.d.)

Nur

American release of a Russian documentary about the Nuremberg trials with original film footage, including scenes of the war and its crimes. It shows all of the major Nazi war criminals who were tried, as well as excerpts of some of the speeches made by the prosecutors. Note: The whole slant of this film is about crimes and atrocities against Russians—crimes and atrocities against Jews aren’t even mentioned. Therefore, the film is not recommended for classroom use, but may be used by individuals interested in a Russian perspective of the war and the Nuremberg trials. Includes extremely graphic footage of atrocities in the camps. The end of the film shows a close-up of the corpse of each of the executed Nazis after they were hung.

58 min.  AGE: Adult

Excellent educational film, which profiles the true stories of eight child survivors of the Holocaust, including the filmmaker. The film alternates between documentary film footage of the progression of the war and first person testimonies of these events from the survivors. The survivors interviewed are from different countries including Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, Belgium, France and Hungary. Some were hidden during the war; one was on the ship “St. Louis”; one describes Auschwitz; and one fought with French partisans. Clear maps trace the progression of Germany’s conquests during the war. Note: This film is very highly recommended for classroom use. It is extremely useful in providing the experiences of Jewish children during the Holocaust from many countries and during various stages of the war. Produced by the Holocaust Child Survivors of Connecticut.

Color/B&W  42 min.  AGE:  12 to Adult

940.53

ONE SURVIVOR REMEMBERS  (1995)

One

A remarkable Holocaust testimony. Survivor Gerda Weissman Klein tells of her experiences during the Holocaust in this Academy Award-winning short documentary. She tells of her separation from family; the hunger and hard work in the slave labor camp on the German/Polish border; and the death march, during which she lost all three of her close friends. A haunting portrayal which will linger in the mind long after viewing. An excellent resource for classes where survivors are not available for live testimonies. Note: The opening segment includes some very graphic film footage and may not be suitable for all audiences. Facilitator may wish to “fast forward” about one minute and begin with Klein’s story.

40 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

940.53

THE ONLY WAY  (1970)

Onl

Drama about the rescue of the Danish Jews from the Nazis in 1943. Nazi Germany invaded Denmark in April 1940, and in September-October 1943, they tried to arrest and deport all of Denmark’s Jews (launching their efforts on the High Holidays). The Danish people united in a huge rescue operation, hiding their Jewish neighbors and transporting them to safety in Sweden. The drama focuses on two parents and their young adult daughter—a family which doesn’t initially heed the warnings to hide and escape to Sweden. Viewers see the rescue process step-by-step and the types of risks the Danes took to hide Jews in their homes, churches and hospitals, and to transport them past the Nazis. Stars Jane Seymour. Note: Average drama. Film feels dated, and sound is not perfect.

1 hr. 26 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

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OPENING THE GATES OF HELL: AMERICAN LIBERATORS OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATION

Ope

CAMPS  (1992)

American liberators of the concentration camps share with viewers their memories and experiences of what they found when they entered the camps. They provide detailed descriptions of the inmates, the piles of dead bodies, the crematoria, the hospitals and the attitudes of civilians who lived near the camps. Includes archival film footage taken by the American troops of the camps. The veterans share their eyewitness accounts of the liberation of Ohrdruf, Buchenwald, Dachau, Landsberg, Nordhausen and Mauthausen. Produced by the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois and Loyola University of Chicago. Note: Contains extremely graphic archival footage.

Color/B&W. 45 min.  AGE: Adult

JHVC

940.53

The Oppermanns  (1986)

Opp

The years 1932–33 were critical ones for Germany's Jews, when popular disaffection and political turmoil fueled by an economic crisis set the stage for Hitler's rise to power. As Nazi views took hold, the Jews—fully integrated into German society and accepting the nation's ideals as their own—were increasingly viewed as "foreigners" and "enemies," which many found incomprehensible. This mood culminated in the boycott of Jewish stores and professionals in 1934. The Oppermanns, a drama made for German TV, recounts how one wealthy German-Jewish family responded during these pivotal years. As the film opens, the family meets to discuss merging their furniture business with that of an old rival, who may be a Nazi. But the Oppermann brothers—the store's manager, a doctor and a man of letters—continue to emotionally resist acknowledging the extent of Nazi gains. Finally, they can resist no longer.

In German with subtitles. 3 hrs. 55 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

940.54

THE OTHER SIDE OF FAITH  (1990)

Oth

Personal narrative about a 16-year-old Catholic teenager, Stefania Burzminski, who risked her own life and that of her younger sister to save the lives of 13 Jews in Przemysl, Poland, during the Holocaust. The narrative alternates between Stefania telling her story, and her husband—one of the Jews she saved—telling of his war experiences. Together, they brought 13 Jews into the attic of an apartment, and Stefania sheltered and fed them all for two years, until the war ended. Stefania is a religious Catholic—one of the Righteous Gentiles who showed rare courage and faith. Study guide available.

27 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

940.53

OUT OF THE ASHES  (1995)

Out

Holocaust documentary prepared for the 50th anniversary of Liberation after World War II. Three grown children of Holocaust survivors retell their parents’ stories, interspersed with archival film clips and narration relating Holocaust history. The film focuses on how the war created many displaced persons and refugees whose challenge was to make a new life for themselves despite their suffering from the Holocaust. Note: Contains some very graphic film footage which may not be suitable for younger audiences.

1 hr.  AGE: 14 to Adult

940.53

OUT OF THE ASHES (2003)

Christine Lahti stars in the true story of Dr. Gisella Perl, a Jewish gynecologist who was a prisoner in Auschwitz during the Holocaust and performed abortions on Jewish women to save their lives. When the film opens, Perl is meeting before an Immigration and Naturalization panel investigating her application for U.S. citizenship. The committee is questioning whether or not she was a collaborator with the Nazis. Dr. Perl, a practicing physician in 1947 New York, is appalled by this inquiry and the bulk of the film is done in flashback, showing her experiences during the Holocaust. Viewers see Perl growing up in Hungary, becoming a doctor and raising a family. In 1944, she was deported on cattle cars to Auschwitz and forced to work in the infirmary with Dr. Josef Mengele. When Perl sees that both pregnant women and infant babies born in Auschwitz are murdered, she decides to perform abortions in the camp to save women’s lives. Gisella Perl survives the Holocaust, loses her family, deals with the guilt of survival, and attempts to start a new life in America. Years later, she finds herself being interrogated as a possible traitor. Christine Lahti delivers a powerful performance and the film opens many critical issues for discussion. Based on the autobiography, “I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz” by Gisella Perl. Note: Contains nudity and violence. Some scenes are quite disturbing and raise ethical issues for group discussion.

2 hrs.  AGE:  15 to Adult

909.04

OUT OF THE ASHES (1917-1945)  (Heritage: Civilization and the Jews, Chapter VIII) (1984)

Her

Part of the “Heritage” series which chronicles over 3,000 years of Jewish history, thought, and culture. This chapter looks at the turmoil of the twenties; the fury of Nazism and the Holocaust; the beginnings of reconstruction and a glimmer of hope for the future. Topics covered include “An Age of Assimilation,” “Ferment in Eastern Europe” and “Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.” Study guide available.

1 hr.  AGE: 12 to Adult

OUTCAST: JEWISH PERSECUTION IN NAZI GERMANY 1933- 1938 (1997)

Produced by Yad Vashem, this video looks at the persecution of the Jews in Germany prior to the outbreak of World War II (1933-1938). Actor Michael Shneider narrates the film, which alternates between documentary footage and survivor testimony. The film proceeds chronologically, one year at a time, pointing out major events in Hitler’s rise, and measures he took that affected the Jews. The survivors who were interviewed were all teens in Germany in the 1930’s. They talk about what they saw and how they and their families were affected. Included topics are Hitler’s rise to power, the Nuremberg Laws, Kristallknacht and the Evian Conference and world response. Note: There is no graphic footage, which makes this suitable for a younger audience than many Holocaust films. Some survivor testimony is difficult to understand, due to accents. The survivors interviewed all resided in Israel when the film was made. Recommended for teachers who wish to show a detailed account of events leading up to the Holocaust in Germany.

40 min.  AGE:  13 to Adult