Jewish Film Series

Directed by Hilary Helstein I 70 min I Documentary I USA I 2008

As Maya Angelou narrates this powerful documentary, she reveals the story of a brave group of people who fought Hitler with the only weapons they had: charcoal, pencil stubs, shreds of paper and memories etched in their minds. These artists took their fate into their own hands to make a compelling statement about the human spirit, enduring against unimaginable odds.

Immediately following the film, Elizabeth Hlavek, will discuss her photography exhibition, Making Meaning Through Making Art, and share learnings from personal interviews with Holocaust survivors and artists, many of whom are featured in the film.  This exhibit, part of her doctorate dissertation, is comprised of reproductions of artwork created by individuals from all over Europe, including those interred in such concentration camps as Auschwitz, Dachau, Gurs and Terezin. As an art therapist, Hlavek hopes people will walk away from this exhibition recognizing the “individual within the masses” and how art can play a role in healing and surviving.

Presented by The Arenstein Family

Yom Hashoah program co-hosted with the Virginia Holocaust Museum