Our Children Poland, 1948, 68 minutes,
Public Exhibition Formats: 35mm, 16mm, Beta |
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"Our Children is not only among the first films about the Holocaust, it is also the first to critique its representation.”
-J. Hoberman, Bridge of Light: Yiddish Film Between Two Worlds
Synopsis
This semi-documentary film (and Poland’s last Yiddish feature) features the comedy duo Shimon Dzigan and Israel Shumacher who had recently returned from the Soviet Union, and Jewish children who had survived the Holocaust.
Directed on location by Nathan Gross and Shaul Goskind at at the JDC-supported Helenowek Colony, an orphanage and school near Lodz, this film includes Dzigan and Shumacher's virtuoso turn as all the characters in Sholem Aleichem's Kasrilevke Brent (Kasrilevke is Burning), and an exchange of roles where they become the children's audience. Reversals continue during the performers' visit to the children's residence, as the children teach adults about the healing possibilities of music, dance and storytelling.
Selected Screenings
Furth Jewish Film Festival | Furth, Germany
Center for Jewish History
Birmingham Holocaust Education Center | Birmingham, AL
IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy
Neues Kino Theater, Basel Switzerland
St. Louis Holocaust Museum & Learning Center
Filmmuseum of Munich
International Yiddish Theatre Festival of Montreal
New York Jewish Film Festival
Miami Jewish Film Festival
Toronto Jewish Film Festival
Vancouver Jewish Film Festival
Stockholm Jewish Film Festival
Vienna Jewish Film Festival
Ashkenaz Festival, Toronto
NCJF Film Restoration
Restoration was completed with funding from The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation in memory and honor of The Children with additional support from Bernard Turner, Natan Gross, Shaul Goskind, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Brandeis University, The American Film Institute, The Massachusetts Cultural Council and The National Endowment for the Arts
Our Children was produced under the scrutiny of the Polish Communist Party and subsequently was not allowed to be shown in Poland. The discovery of an original nitrate print in 1979 by Polish journalist Bernard Turner enabled the restoration of this important film.
1991 Restoration © The National Center for Jewish Film
Executive Director Sharon Pucker Rivo
Associate Director Miriam Saul Krant
Technical Coordinator Rich Pontius
Translator Dr. Stephen R. Simons
Consultant Sylvia Fuks Fried
Title Production Loren S. Miller
Title Animation Frame Shop
Laboratory John E. Allen, Inc.
Credits
Directors Natan Gross & Shaul Goskind
Producers Shaul Goskind & J. Slepak-Juszynski
Screenplay Natan Gross & Shaul Goskind
Scenarist Rachel Auerbach
Prologue Binem Heller
Art Direction
Shimon Dzigan & Israel Schumacher
Cinematography L. Cioczowski
Director of Photography Z. Liczka
Technical Director N. Konradtiew
Sound Operator J. Barczak
Lighting J. Mikolejko, J. Glowwacki
Music Shaul Berezowski
Choreography Sylvia Swen
Lyrics
"Youth Hymn", "Sing with Us" Benim Heller
"My Mother's Treats" Israel Schumacher
"Miller's Song" Abraham Goldfaden
| Cast Nusia Gold Shimon Dzigan Israel Schumacher Z. Skrzeszewska N. Kareni R. Stolarska H. Kestin Y. Videcki A. Daniewicz N. Meisler I. Glantz G. Czifdar |
The Children S. Goldbrenner B. Grinspan M. Tauman I. Greenberg S. Redlich E. Zalkind S. Koczer C. Pretter V. Lason |
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Also Based on work by Sholem Aleichem
Also with Shimon Dzigan & Israel Schumacher
Related Films
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