The Lessons of Survival: Conversations with Simon Wiesenthal (Finland, 2013), a new film by Inna Rogatchi, has had one of its international premiere screenings at the Jewish People Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine Museum in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
Premiere screening of Inna Rogatchi’s new documentary at the Jewish People Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine Museum, November 2013
The hour-long documentary has been screened in the over-packed video-auditorium of the Museum, and the event has created a very big interest in the public consisting of all ages and groups.
Public watching The Lessons of Survival: Conversations with Simon Wiesenthal documentary in Ukraine. November 2013
The screening was preceded by an introduction, which was made by the internationally well-known historian, the head of the Tkuma Institute for the Holocaust Studies and the director of the Museum Dr Igor Schupak. In his introduction, Dr Schupak emphasised the significance and uniqueness of Inna Rogatchi’s film. “Even for myself, the practising historian whose theme is the Holocaust, the film brings a big bulk of new knowledge. We are learning here a lot and absolutely unique first-hand account of the episodes which are still not clarified enough with regard to the hunts for both Eichmann and Mengele; we are getting simply stunning information regarding the practically unknown first personal meeting between Kaltenbrunner and Eichmann; we are hearing extremely convincing and a most interesting first-hand account by Wiesenthal regarding Raoul Wallenberg, and many other things. Also quite importantly, we are having an extremely rare chance to hear and see Simon Wiesenthal, a heroic and legendary figure of modern history, not in a short formal interview, but through a long friendly, open, trustful conversations with Inna Rogatchi, and the outcome of such a unique focus of the film has a deeply effecting impact – it is like we are listening, if not talking, with history itself. Inna Rogatchi’s comments narrated by herself in the film, are very good and far above the average narrative that we usually hear in this kind of historic documentary, and it has become quite a notable and important part of the film, as well”.
In her opening remarks, Inna Rogatchi told the public of the pre-history of her new film. “My husband Michael and I were good and close friends with Simon Wiesenthal, we were privileged to know that outstanding man for many years, met him frequently, talked a lot, and even worked together on some cases at a certain stage. I wrote on Simon Wiesenthal a lot, and still do, – my new book on the subject of personal reflections on the Holocaust in modern times is due to be published soon. The film has been completed as a commemoration to the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, as a reflection and reminding of the fact that in spite of mankind’s quite stubborn difficulty in learning from its own history, there are lessons to put one’s attention to, especially when the subject is such an ultimate attack on the human soul as the Nazi regime and the Holocaust has been”.
Inna also told the public about her special historical research she conducted on the subjects discussed with Simon Wiesenthal, part of which has been filmed for the documentary; and of the principle on which she has based her new work: “Although this documentary is a filmed from close-range personal portrait, I applied a synthetic approach to its making combining chronicled conversation, specific footage as the one from the Mauthausen concentration camp, and the other arts playing an active part in this production: there is a very talented and intelligent modern piece of music by Israel Sharon performed by his Kaprizma Ensemble from Israel; and there are also two more artistic components put into the film: powerful paintings on the Holocaust theme by my husband, Michael Rogatchi, including the painting which belonged to Simon Wiesenthal and which is now with his family; and photo collages produced by myself for the film specifically. All that has been thought of and applied intentionally, to bring out a film which affects multi-sidedly in an accord of different streams, including psychology, cinematography, music, visual arts, and a written word. As a film-maker specialising on such close-range portraits of people or phenomena, I believe in such an approach”.
The public watched the film with extreme interest and deep attention. Significantly, those attending included many ages and backgrounds, the youth and seniors, students, teachers, engineers, businessmen, intellectuals, and representatives of the media.
There were a lot of questions after the screening, covering a very wide range of topics: from very deep questions by the Chief Rabbi and the President of the Federation of the Jewish Communities of Ukraine Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzki on the complicated situation involved appointing Kurt Waldheim as the UN General Secretary in 1980s and Wiesenthal’s position on the matter to questions on the possibilities for Simon Wiesenthal to conduct his work over five decades, on Wiesenthal’s family, on the continuation of his work today, etc.
After the screening, there were questions and public discussion. Chief Rabbi of Dnepropetrovsk and Dnepropetrovsk region and the chairman of the Federation of the Jewish Communities of Ukraine Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzki and Inna Rogatchi during the discussion
Inna Rogatchi also told the audience more and very interesting information that came from her historical research for the film on the post-WWII international policies with regard to Nazi criminals, specifically those in whose hunt was involved Simon Wiesenthal. The research is part of Inna’s forthcoming book “Stars of Despair, Stars of Hope. Personal Reflections on the Holocaust in Modern Times”.
When Inna Rogatchi was asked about her impressions after the screening, the author’s reply was: “I am very glad that there has been people of all ages, social and cultural groups and backgrounds in that over-packed auditorium, and there has been very good questions. This is the best possible result for any author of a serious documentary film, I believe”.
The very successful screening in Ukraine resulted in requests for several more screenings there. The documentary will become the subject for a special session of the Sunday History Club of the Tkuma Institute for the Holocaust Studies, along with other big international seminars and symposiums that will be held there in early 2014. The documentary has also been invited to become part of two significant international educational programmes on Holocaust studies led by Swedish and Israeli historical educational authorities.
More international screenings of the documentary The Lessons of Survival: Conversations with Simon Wiesenthal are planned for the European Parliament and UNESCO in early 2014, as well as for the Jewish Vilnius Public Library and other institutions in Lithuania in March 2014.