Holocaust Film Series @ Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction

Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in conversation with filmmaker Inna Rogatch
Inset pic- Legendary Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in conversation with filmmaker Inna Rogatch. Featured pic- The Gates to Hell- the gates to the Auschwitz concentration camp

In recognition of an overwhelmingly positive response to its inaugural season in 2014, the HOLOCAUST FILM SERIES, presented by the Jewish International Film Festival, returns to Melbourne and Sydney from 12 to 25 March.

Despite the austere title of this film series, the journey that this series invites audiences to embark on is not grim, but is one of courage, fascination and admiration for the people who have lived through some of modern history’s most challenging events. For it is only by facing the past and learning from their experiences, that we can continue to develop and appreciate the gift of life, whilst striving to banish the racial prejudice that still continues to motivate so many crimes.

The 2015 HOLOCAUST FILM SERIES is presenting 35 utterly compelling feature films, documentaries and shorts from around the world, all of which will be screening for the very first time in Australia, with no guarantee of repeat viewings beyond this film series. The eclectic range of stories showcased will enthrall, inform and give pause for reflection.

And although one might think that the cinematic potential of the Holocaust has been exhausted over the last seventy years, nothing could be further from the truth. Tales of incredible human resilience and lasting impact, continue to emerge and through this event the Festival showcases a relatively small, but vital selection of stories and incidents that illuminate a period of history that brought forth the very best and worst of mankind, with repercussions that still echo.

Highlights of the 2015 HOLOCAUST FILM SERIES include:

Forbidden Films

GERMANY / 2014 / DOCUMENTARY / 94 MIN

1,200 feature films were made in Germany’s Third Reich. According to experts, some 100 of these were blatant propaganda. More than 40 remain – nearly seventy years after the end of the Nazi regime – under lock and key. This is their story.

Farewell Herr Schwartz

GERMANY, ISRAEL / 2013 / DOCUMENTARY / 96 MIN

Michla and her brother Feiv’ke were inseparable before the Holocaust. Upon learning of Feiv’ke’s death, Michla moves, in grief, to the new state of Israel. The filmmaker, Michla’s granddaughter, investigates what really happened to her grandmother’s beloved brother. *Winner Best Documentary – Haifa IFF.

To Life

FRANCE / 2013 / FEATURE /104 min

To Life is French director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann’s polished follow-up feature film to his documentary Irene and Her Sisters. Zilbermann relates the story of three young Jewish women who were deported to Auschwitz and finally reconnect with each other fifteen years later, during a warm summer in Berck plage.

Lessons of Survival: Conversations with Simon Wiesenthal

FINLAND / 2014 / DOCUMENTARY / 57 MIN

This documentary depicts a series of intimate and friendly conversations with legendary Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, who shares his insights into the psychology, philosophy and sociology of the Holocaust.

Radical Evil

GERMANY, AUSTRIA / 2014 / DOCUMENTARY / 92 MIN

Oscar-winning director Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) directs Radical Evil, a documentary asking why ordinary people become mass murderers

Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent

USA / 2014 / DOCUMENTARY / 50 MIN

The film traces the life of Joachim Prinz, an outspoken rabbi who lived through the Nazi regime to become a significant American civil rights activist.

Weapons of the spirit: New 25th Anniversary Edition

USA, France/1985/2015/ DOCUMENTARY/ 90 min

During World War II, in and around one village in Nazi-occupied France, 5,000 Jews were sheltered by 5,000 Christians. This story of a huge collaborative effort to save innocent lives is inspiring and uplifting, celebrating the goodness of the human spirit in the darkest of times.

A Blind Hero – The Love of Otto Weidt

Germany / 2014 / FEATURE/ 90 min

This film tells of the “unsung Schindler” Otto Weidt, a factory owner who hid his mostly Jewish and blind employees from the Nazis. A fervent anti-Nazist, Weidt used his cunning to save dozens of Jewish souls and protect the life of his Jewish love.

Brundibar Revisited

GERMANY, CZECH REPUBLIC / 2014 / DOCUMENTARY / 90 MIN

The members of a Berlin youth theatre group are confronted by history when they recreate an opera first performed in Theresienstadt. Taken on a trip back in time, the young Berliners question their attitudes towards their country’s troubled past.

The HOLOCAUST FILM SERIES screens between the 12th and the 25th March at Event Cinemas Bondi .

Sydney Arts Guide has 3 double passes to give away to the Festival. Be one of the first to contact the Editor on editor.sydneyartsguide@gmail.com. Winners will be advised by return email.

TICKETS ON SALE FROM 12 FEBRUARY 2015 Visit the official website at: http://www.jiff.com.au/hfs.