Special Guest Consul General Annette Klein
Federal Republic of Germany
Director: Claus Räfle, Germany, 2017, German w. English subtitles, 100 min.
In June 1943, Germany infamously declared Berlin Judenfrei — “free of Jews.” But at that moment there were still 7,000 Jews living in the Nazi capital: hiding in attics, basements, and warehouses, protected by courageous Berliners while desperately trying to avoid deportation. Only 1,700 lived to liberation. The experiences of four survivors are followed, interweaving their testimony with highly accomplished dramatizations, an unusual hybrid approach that brings edge-of-the-seat suspense to their years spent underground. The two men and two women whose stories unfold are well chosen, and their younger selves are sensitively portrayed. Audience Silver Award Mill Valley Film Festival.
Topics: WWII, Hidden Jews, Holocaust