Educational Media Reviews Online

The documentary Andre's Lives is the story of two very personal journeys. The first deals with a Holocaust survivor's return to his past, while the second illustrates the poignant attempt by two sons to find the father they never knew.

The story centers on Andre Steiner; a Bauhaus-trained architect dubbed "the Jewish Schindler" for his work in saving the lives of thousands of Jews from "the final Solution." As the last surviving member of the underground Jewish "Working Group," Steiner bribed local Nazi officials to build labor camps using Jewish workers. His actions coupled with those of the other "Working Group" members helped save over 7000 Jews from deportation to Auschwitz and certain death. After the war he emigrated with his family to Atlanta where he became a very successful architect. Andre never looked back at the life he'd left in Slovakia, and refused to tell his story to anyone. This refusal even extended his two sons Peter and George, who only find the truth about Andre when they come across their late mother's diary. The sons decide that they want to know more about their father and that means returning to where it all happened. Together with director Brad Lichtenstein, George and Peter transport Andre back to Slovakia and to the past he'd tried so hard to forget.

The rest of the video illustrates the three men's journey as they revisit the major places from Andre's former life. Along the way Lichtenstein tries to capture each man's emotional reaction to a certain place or person. For the most part, Andre remains silent and detached. Even when he questions the Nazi official he had regularly bribed all those years ago, Andre's voice betrays no bitterness or hatred; just a curious interest. It's only when he meets those people from his past who were the closest to him, such as the surviving members of the family who fled with the Steiners into the mountains after the failed Slovak Uprising of 1944, does Andre break down and let his emotions show.

Events come to a head when the men visit the village of L'ubietova. George and Peter know from their mother's diary that this was the last place that Andre saw his parents alive, but their father doesn't seem to remember much about the event. They continue to push him and push him until finally Andre explodes in anger over their questions. He storms away from both his sons and the camera, leaving an awkward silence hanging over the remainder of the scene. Events take another dramatic turn later, with a visit to the family home of Hetty, Andre's wife. The memories stirred by the old house prove to be too much for George and Peter as they break down and silently weep for their late mother. Though he still betrays no emotion, Andre tries to comfort his sons. This is the first real tender moment between the three men captured onscreen, and it occurs at the very end of the video.

I think that "Andre's Lives" is a wonderful film not only for looking at the Holocaust, but also for examining dysfunctional family relationships. I'd recommend this video for high school-age classes and up.