Jewish Experience ~ Holocaust

In the second week of November, our class was part of a special event that acted as a sort of memorial for the Jewish lives affected by the Holocaust. We viewed four films of varying length, tone, and backstory, all of which had relevance to the tragedies the Jewish people faced in the 1930's and 1940's.
At the End of the Line was a music video that told the story of the Kindertransport program that saved a multitude of Jewish children before they could be taken away by the Nazis. Although the story itself is certainly interesting, I didn't find the film to be all that fantastic. I didn't find the music to be very good, the stylistic direction of the video was a tad cheesy, and I just think it did a bad job of gripping the story in a cohesive manner.
Picking Up the Pieces does a much better job at telling a story, probably because it isn't trying to be too artistic. This film tells the often overlooked tales of child survivors of the Holocaust and how they are living today. As a journalist, a story that is not usually told is a story that naturally interests me, so I was instantly captivated. A very emotional piece, Picking Up the Pieces did a great job of creating that childhood innocence each survivor must have had when they were taken away; this allows the viewer to easily empathize with each individual interviewed.
Never Forget- A March of the Living Story chronicles the "Young Adult March of the Living" program, which sends people of Jewish heritage on a trip to both Poland and Israel, in an effort to not only capture the historical and cultural significance of the Holocaust, but also to commemorate the founding of Israel as a nation. This film is from the perspective of both the director and the many young adults on the trip with him; they are all emotionally connected as they make their way through the ghostly camp of Auschwitz and--in a much more joyful occasion--through the festive streets of the Jewish homeland. Never Forget interested me greatly and has made me think about visiting the concentration camps to gain a better understanding of them; it really showed the importance of witnessing history firsthand so that you can never let go of its importance.
The Kozalchik Affair was the last film and, in my opinion, the best one. Unlike the other three films, this one followed an extremely specific story to the point where it could just be considered a feature. Itzik, the film's narrator and primary character, goes on a journey to discover his late father's hidden and controversial past; Jacob--Itzik's father--had been a kapo in Auschwitz, forced to aid the Nazis in the camp. However, at any chance he could, Jacob would save his fellow Jews and Pols from death, and put his own life on the line to do so. This film was heartfelt and touching, and I was honored to be able to follow this man through a very personal and obviously taxing journey. When Itzik finds some resolve in the film's end, I feel like I too found some resolve deep down.