Film Series

The aim of the film series is to provide a forum for discussion by Member States and civil society partners, and to raise awareness of the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice.

“The Relief of Belsen”

On 2 May 2011 the UN Department of Public Information in partnership with the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations organized screening of a film “The Relief of Belsen”. “The Relief of Belsen” brings to the screen the true story of the massive humanitarian relief effort by the British army in liberating Bergen Belsen concentration camp in April 1945. The camp, administered by the Nazis, became overwhelmed as Jewish and other prisoners evacuated from camps closer to the front continued to arrive. Thousands of Jews and other prisoners died of typhus and other causes in the camp, yet with help of British Medical Corps, many others survived. The film, written by Justin Hardy and Peter Guinness and produced by Sue Horth, won the Broadcast Award for best single drama and was nominated for several prestigious awards, among them the British Academy award for specialist factual film-making, the Grierson award for best drama-documentary and the Royal Television Society award for Best history film. The film followed by a Q&A session with Menachem Rosensaft, who was born in the Bergen Belsen DP camp and whose father headed both the Central Committee of Liberated Jews in the British Zone of Germany and the Jewish Committee that administered the Bergen-Belsen DP camp; and Professor Atina Grossman, a historian and an expert on Bergen Belsen and the Holocaust in Germany. The Q&A session was moderated by Ms. Kimberly Mann, Manager, the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme, Department of Public Information (DPI) Introductory remarks by Sir Mark Lyall Grant, UK Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations Remarks by Menachem Rosensaft Remarks by Professor Atina Grossman Press Release: United Nations to Mark Liberation of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp with Film at Headquarters, [25 April 2011]

“The Last Flight of Petr Ginz”

The film tells the story of Petr Ginz, a child from Prague who perished during the Holocaust. The film opens a window into Petr’s life through his artwork, novels, short stories and magazine articles, and the journey he made from child to young adult, from innocence to the painful awareness of inhumanity. By age14, he had written five novels and a diary about the Nazi occupation of Prague. By age 16, he had produced 120 drawings and paintings, edited an underground magazine in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, and written numerous short stories. Petr Ginz was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944. What makes Petr’s story so relevant, contemporary and unusual, is the fact that he drew and painted what he saw and imagined. In the midst of death and chaos, he calmly, objectively, and at times humorously, related the horrors of his everyday existence. Much of Petr’s story was unknown until the 2003 Columbia space shuttle tragedy. Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, a member of the mission, had carried with him Petr’s drawing, “Moon Landscape”. The publicity surrounding the flight and its explosion led to the discovery of Petr’s diary and additional artwork and short stories in a Prague attic. Official movie website

“Daring to Resist”

On 25 January 2011 the UN Department of Public Information organized screening of a film “Daring to Resist”. Distributed by Women Make Movies, the documentary film Daring to Resist features the stories of three young Jewish women who found unexpected ways to fight back against the Nazis during the Holocaust: one became a partisan, another shuttled Jews to safe houses and distributed resistance newspapers and a third smuggled Jews across the border. The screening was followed by a discussion with Mr. Frank Blaichman, former partisan, and Ms. Bonnie Gurewitsch, Archivist/ Curator, Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, NYC. Moderated by Ms. Kimberly Mann, Manager, the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme, Department of Public Information (DPI) Remarks by Ms. Bonnie Gurewitsch Remarks by Mr. Frank Blaichman

“Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocaust in Arab lands”

The United Nations Holocaust Programme and the New York Tolerance Center held the screening of a film on Arabs who saved Jews during the Holocaust on 24 May 2010 at the New York-based Simon Wiesenthal Tolerance Centre . Based on the literary work of the same title written by Robert Satloff, this new documentary was made in partnership with MacNeil-Lehrer Productions and has aired on PBS Television. It retells largely forgotten stories from World War II in North Africa of Arabs who saved their Jewish neighbors from the Holocaust — a story which Holocaust historiography has largely left untouched. The documentary digs into history to uncover not only cases of Jewish persecution in North Africa similar to the Jewish experience in Europe, but also stories of the “righteous” Arabs that protected Jews. Filmed in eight different countries stretching from Morocco to Israel, the documentary reveals surprising discoveries about the past that can help challenge how Arabs and Jews alike view this part of Holocaust history. The event began with an introduction by the Officer-in-Charge for the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. Following the screening, a question and answer session was held with Robert Satloff, Executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, moderated by Mark Weitzman, Director of the Task Force against Hate and Terrorism, Associate Director of Education for the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) and Founding Director of the SWC’s New York Tolerance Center.

“Defiance”

On Thursday 28 January 2010 the Department of Pubic Information organized a screening of “Defiance” cosponsored by the United States Mission to the United Nations, to conclude the series of events held for the International Day of commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.   Defiance* (2h 17min, Paramount Pictures) is a feature film about Jewish partisans battling the Nazis in Belarus, starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. It is based on a true story that was detailed in the book with the same name written by Holocaust scholar and survivor Nechama Tec.  Director Edward Zwick is well-known for his epic films such as Blood Diamond and The Last Samurai. This screening has been made possible by Paramount Pictures. *Please note that this film is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America and is not appropriate for young audiences. United Nations to Honour Legacy of Holocaust Survivors at New York Headquarters Memorial Ceremony, 27 January, 20 January 2010 Remarks by H.E. Alejandro Wolff, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations

“As Seen through These Eyes“

In observance of the anniversary of the Kristallnacht Pogrom of 9 November 1938, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme organized the screening of the documentary film, “As Seen through These Eyes”, on Monday 9 November 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber (UN HQ). A conversation with the film’s Director, Producer, Writer, Hilary Helstein, on learning about the Holocaust through art followed the screening. Ms. Helstein travelled the world over the past decade to compile interviews with artists who have survived the Holocaust. Each conversation brings with it the realization that every painting or sketch on a torn scrap of paper is its own Holocaust diary.  Their words and their images of the survivors are profoundly moving, communicating horror and hope artistically.   Narrated by Maya Angelou and produced in association with Sundance Channel, the film aims to combat prejudice, bigotry and intolerance. This screening was held in partnership with Menemsha Films. On this occasion, the Department of Public Information has launched “The Holocaust and the United Nations Discussion Papers Journal“. The publication, which includes a foreword by Under-Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaka and nine papers drafted by experts on the Holocaust and prevention of genocide, provides a forum for individual scholars representing a variety of cultures and perspectives, to raise issues for debate and further study. Press Release: United Nations to Screen Film on Holocaust Art on 9 November (2 November 2009)

“Watermarks”

The Department of Pubic Information held a screening of the documentary “Watermarks“, on Thursday 29 January 2009 in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium at United Nations Headquarters. Watermarks tells the story of the champion women swimmers of the legendary Jewish sports club, Hakoah, which was located in Vienna, Austria. In defiance of Hitler, the women courageously refused to take part in the Berlin Olympics in 1936. After the Anschluss, the political unification of Nazi Germany and Austria in 1938, the Nazis shut down the club, but the swimmers managed to flee the country before the war broke out. Sixty-five years later, director Yaron Zilberman meets the members of the women’s swim team in their homes around the world, and arranges for them to have a reunion in their old swimming pool in Vienna, a journey that evokes memories of youth, femininity and strengthens lifelong bonds. Director Yaron Zilberman made a brief statement to introduce the film. Press release: United Nations to observe Holocaust Remembrance Day, 27 January – Events include Memorial Ceremony, exhibits, film screening (26 January 2009) Official movie website The screening of Watermarks is courtesy of Kino International, Cinephil, Opening Night Productions, HBO and Arte.

“My Opposition: the Diaries of Friedrich Kellner” 70th Anniversary Observance of Kristallnacht

This 2007 documentary film narrates the story of former court official Friedrich Kellner, a political activist in the Third Reich who defied the Nazis by campaigning against them and later secretly documenting their atrocities in his diary, at the risk of his life. As a consequence, he was brought before a tribunal and threatened with imprisonment in a concentration camp. Today, his grandson Prof. Robert Scott Kellner, who discovered and translated the ten volume diaries, uses them to raise awareness on the dangers of totalitarian ideology. The documentary was also screened in the 2008 Toronto Film Festival. Hosted by Kiyo Akasaka, UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information Opening remarks by His Excellency Mr. Thomas Matussek, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations Press release: UNDPI will hold panel discussion and film screening on 10 November to mark 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht (31 October 2008) UN News Article: UN Observes anniversary of Kristallnacht pogros against Jews (10 November 2008)

Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport

Writer and Director: Mark Jonathan Harris Producer: Deborah Oppenheimer Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights reserved.

The film’s producer Ms. Deborah Oppenheimer and David G. Marwell, Ph.D., Director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, took part in a discussion after the film. The film describes how for nine months prior to the outbreak of World War II, in an unprecedented act of mercy, Great Britain conducted an extraordinary rescue mission known as the Kindertransport. Ten thousand endangered children were transported from their homes in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland and placed into foster homes and hostels, expecting eventually to be reunited with their parents. The majority of the children never saw their families again. Told in the words of the child survivors, rescuers, parents and foster parents and illustrated with rare archival footage and photographs, Into the Arms of Strangers recounts the remarkable story of this rescue operation and its dramatic impact on the lives of the children who were saved. Official Movie website

“Steal a Pencil For Me“

The United Nations Department of Public Information and the Anne Frank Center USA jointly screened Steal a Pencil for Me, presented by Red Envelope Entertainment, in connection with the Holocaust and the United Nations outreach programme.  The screening took place at 6 p.m. on Monday, 16 April, at United Nations Headquarters in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium.  Raymond Sommereyns, Director of the Outreach Division, Department of Public Information, made opening remarks, followed by Yvonne Simons, Executive Director, Anne Frank Center USA and Michèle Ohayon, filmmaker.   Press Release: UNDPI and Anne Frank Center USA to screen “Steal a Pencil For Me” on 16 April as part of the Holocaust Outreach Programme (11 April 2007)

Nazvy svoie im’ia (Spell Your Name)

In Russian, with English subtitles. Screened on 1 February 2007 at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, United Nations Headquarters. Directed by Sergey Bukovsky and presented by Steven Spielberg, Victor Pinchuk and the Shoah Foundation for Visual History and Education at the University of Southern California, the movie follows a journey of discovery by Ukrainian students who absorb the testimony of local people who escaped brutal execution and those who rescued friends and neighbors during the Holocaust. A collection of men and women share the details of their experiences, and we are afforded a glimpse of modern day Ukraine: the ethnic stereotypes that continue to exist and the manner in which Post-Soviet society is dealing with the question of how to memorialize the sites where tens of thousands of Jewish families and others were executed and thrown into mass graves. Remarks by Mr. Viktor Kryzhanivskyi, Chargé d´Affaires, a.i. of Ukraine to the United Nations, at the screening of “Spell Your Name” Remarks by Ms. Kim Simon, Director of International Programs and Communications, USC Shoah Foundation Institute University of Southern California, Shoah Foundation for Visual History and Education Official movie website

Volevo solo vivere (I Only Wanted To Live)

In Italian, with English subtitles. Screened on 31 January 2007 at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, United Nations Headquarters. Directed by Mimmo Calopresti and produced by the Shoah Foundation for Visual History and Education at the University of Southern California, the movie narrates the stories of nine Italian citizens who survive deportation and internment in the Auschwitz death camps. Nine stories through which we follow the most significant events of this harrowing experience: the enactment of the racial laws in Italy, the futile escape attempts, the deportation, the separation from other family members, the miraculous survival in Auschwitz, and liberation with the arrival of the allied soldiers. Remarks by Mr. Stefano Gatti, First Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, at the screening of “I Only Wanted To Live” Remarks by Ms. Kim Simon, Director of International Programs and Communications, USC Shoah Foundation Institute University of Southern California, Shoah Foundation for Visual History and Education

“The Pianist“

The United Nations Department of Public Information and the New York Tolerance Center jointly screened on 19 July 2006 The Pianist, the second movie in the film series launched in connection with the Holocaust and the United Nations outreach programme. The screening took place at 6 p.m. in the Tolerance Center at 226 East 42nd Street. Directed by the famous filmmaker Roman Polanski, the movie is based on the autobiography of Wladyslav Szpilman, a Polish Jew and a celebrated pianist and composer who, during the Nazi occupation, evaded deportation and remained in the ravaged Warsaw Ghetto. There, he fought to stay alive, even when separated from his loved ones, and confronted his fears with the aid from the unlikeliest source — a Nazi officer who helped him hide during the final days of the war. The Pianist won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscars for directing, acting (Adrien Brody) and adapted screenplay in the year 2002. Press Release: UNDPI and New York Tolerance Center to screen “The Pianist” (12 July 2006)

“Sophie Scholl: The Final Days“

The United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) and the New York Tolerance Center jointly launched a film series on 25 April 2006 (Yom Hashoah) in connection with the Holocaust and the United Nations outreach programme. Raymond Sommereyns, Director of the Outreach Division, DPI, and Mark Weitzman, Director of the New York Tolerance Center, made opening remarks. The first screening was scheduled for 25 April at 6 p.m. in the Tolerance Center ( 226 East 42nd Street, New York) and featured the film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days. The film is about the last six days in the life of Sophie Scholl who is caught by the Gestapo as a member of the German Nazi-resistance group, the White Rose, and is executed for “high treason” by the Nazis. The film won the prestigious Silver Bear award at the Berlin Film festival in 2005. As co-sponsor of this screening, Hans-Juergen Heimsoeth, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany based in New York, also made a brief statement. Press Release: UNDPI and New York Tolerance Center to jointly host film series on Holocaust, prevention of genocide (19 May 2006)

“Fateless“

The Holocaust and the United Nations and the United Nations Staff Recreation Council’s Film Society jointly hosted the screening of the movie Fateless on 24 Janaury 2006 in United Nations Headquarters in New York. Catherine Claxton, President of the United Nations Film Society, and Raymond Sommereyns, Director of the Outreach Division, introduced the film. The movie is based on the novel with the same name by Nobel Literature Laureate Imre Kertesz which follows a 14-year Jewish boy from Budapest to the Buchenwald concentration camp     Press release: United Nations to observe the first Universal Commemoration in Memory of the Holocaust victims (20 January 2006)