Kurt Gerron

I found the story about Kurt Gerron fascinating. I cannot begin to imagine the pain he must have felt going from one of the most prolific actors / directors of his era to becoming a prisoner of the Nazis. Gerron had accomplished so much in his career and was so beloved by his people and renowned across Europe and then the same people that loved him locked him away knowing he was not coming back. This just goes to show how powerful and frightening the Nazi party was that they could imprison a national treasure without remorse. I think it was the right choice for Gerron to direct the propaganda film about Theresienstadt. At that point his fate was already sealed and the Nazis were already realizing their fate as well. For Gerron this was his final chance to do what he loved and leave a new legacy that we still talk about today. His film about his concentration camp may seem like a heinous cover up by the Nazis but it can also be seen as a work of art by one of the victims of the war. We now know the truth about Gerron and Theresienstadt and the fact that looking at that film covers up all of the pain and suffering going on in the camp is a compliment to Gerron. He gave all of those people a chance to be happy or at least look happy which is more to say than most of the victims of the war.