Broken Silence
by J?nos Sz?sz, Luis Puenzo, Marcel Lozinski, Pavel Chukhraj, Vojtech Jasny
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alejandro Horvath, Benjamin Mehl, Jack Fuchs, Liza Zajak-Novera, Robert LambergDirector: J?nos Sz?sz, Luis Puenzo, Marcel Lozinski, Pavel Chukhraj, Vojtech Jasny
Brand: Universal
Producer: Christopher Pavlick
Producer: James Moll
Producer: John Ballon
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 300 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-03-09
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Broken Silence
Movie Review: 5 poignant documentaries that deal with the Holocaust
Summary: 5 Stars
"Broken Silence" is an amazing production, consisting of five films about the Holocaust, as told by those who experienced its' horrors, and who came from different parts of Europe during WW II. Side I consists of "Some Who Survived", "Eyes of the Holocaust", and "Children from the Abyss". Side II contains "I Remember" and "Hell on Earth".
"Some Who Survived" was a unique documentary to me as it focuses on Jewish survivors who chose to make their homes in South America [Argentina, Chile, Uruguay] after the war. They speak in fluent Spanish throughout [and some even mention the fact that when they first arrived in Sth America after the war, they had a new language to learn] and I was quite amazed that these survivors, despite the atrocities they had suffered, came to South America, which was known for taking in Nazi war criminals and harboring them, such a Josef Mengele [the Auschwitz doctor of death] and Adolf Eichmann. But what ultimately stands out is the searing testimony by these survivors, who saw their families being ripped from them, family members being sent to their deaths etc.
The theme of loss and grief and at times, vengeance is seen in the other documentaries as well.
In "Eyes of the Holocaust", we learn of the Hungarian Jews extermination in the Holocaust. The frame for the documentary is a young girl who finds a book containing key terms defining the Holocaust such as 'deportation' and so on. As she reads these definitions, we are then shown the testimonies of actual survivors.
Though all the documentaries were unique in their own way [quite a feat considering they were all based on the Holocaust], the most poignant to me was "Children from the Abyss" which tells the stories of the Russian Holocaust survivors. What was really disturbing to me was watching the actual footage of massacres of innocent women, children and other civilians and the gruesome photographs. It was really hard to watch these atrocities, which were further reiterated by the actual testimonies of survivors, including those who had survived the infamous Babi Yar massacre [where thousands of Jews were machine-gunned/shot and dumped into pits, one group on top of another, some being still alive when they fell into the pits]. This was before the Nazis 'refined' their killing process and prior to the use of gassing and construction of death camps like Auschwitz.
"I Remember" was shot in a rather unique way. It only focuses on the testimonies of survivors, is shot is B&W, and alternating between the survivor trstimonies are shots of young Jewish people in the present who are participating in the "March of the Living". Though I liked the interview part of the documentary, I felt the frequent moving back and forth was rather distracting and even annoying after a while.
In "Hell on Earth", which is filmed in the Czech language, Czech Jewish Holocaust survivors give us their testimonies, many focusing on their camp experiences, especially in Terezin [Theresienstadt in German]. Ironically, despite being portrayed as the model camp by the German [who had actually put on a 'show' for the International Red Cross during WW II], this camp was actually in a deplorable condition, with its inmates living in starvation and suffering myriad illnesses and diseases. This particular documentary is also brutally graphic in its depiction of victims, showing film reels and photographs of mounds of corpses, walking skeletons, emaciated inmates etc. Mere words alone fail to convey the horrors portrayed here.
All in all, this DVD is highly recommended for education on the Holocaust.
Summary of Broken Silence
From Steven Spielberg and Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation comes Broken Silence, a series of five films about human courage, heroism, and triumph over intense adversities during World War II. This critically acclaimed series was produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Moll.Some Who Lived
Argentine filmmaker Luis Puenzo (director of the Academy Award-winning film, The Official Story) directed this Spanish-language film, weaving together testimonies from Holocaust survivors now living in Argentina and Uruguay with archival and modern-day footage. Puenzo also explores the connections between Nazism and the darker chapters of Argentine history.
Eyes of the Holocaust
Director Janos Szasz, the son of Holocaust survivors, made this Hungarian-language documentary that focuses on the experiences of survivors who were children during the Holocaust.
Children from the Abyss
Russian Holocaust survivors detail their experiences of resistance, betrayal, collaborators, rescuers, bystanders and the desire for revenge. Directed by Pavel Chukhraj (Academy Award Nominee for his film, The Thief).
I Remember
Academy Award Honoree, Andrzej Wajda directed this Polish-language documentary about four survivors who were either helped or betrayed by their Polish neighbors.
Hell on Earth
Renowned Czech filmmaker Vojtech Jasny directed this Czech-language documentary, a look at Theresienstadt, the "model" Czech ghetto set up by the Nazis to deceive the world about how well the Jews were treated.
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