I was a child of holocaust survivors 2010
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada, 1123 Broadway, Suite 307, New York, NY 10010; 800-542-2164
Produced by Michael Fukushima & Gerry Flahive
Directed by Ann Marie Fleming
DVD, black & white, 15 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
Animation, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Jewish Studies, Psychology
Date Entered: 03/01/2012
Reviewed by Barb Bergman, Minnesota State University, MankatoI was a child of holocaust survivors, based on the illustrated memoir by Bernice Eisenstein, presents a unique view of the Holocaust. Like Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (2007), this film uses the author’s illustrations to create an animated version of an autobiographical graphic novel. Through animation and voiceover narration, Eisenstein describes her hunger to understand what her parents and their friends had experienced. She explores the impact on her life, and the loneliness and anger of being excluded because of not having experienced the same horrors. She describes her world as “black and white and shadowed,” which we see in the stark imagery.
Production values are good. Audio is clear. Fans of animation will enjoy the film’s imagery. In addition to the animated film, the DVD includes half hour interview with Bernice Eisenstein and 15 minute commentary by director Ann Marie Fleming about the filmmaking process.
I was a child of holocaust survivors is an excellent film for discussions not only about the Holocaust and its aftermath, but also as part of a study of survivor’s guilt – in this case of someone not even born at the time of her parent’s trauma.