One Survivor Remembers (1995)

Fresh and Exciting

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

One Survivors Remembers, a forty minute documentary by based on the book, "All but My Life", by Gerda Weissman was a powerful excerpt of one of the many Jewish lives interrupted, and in many cases destroyed by World War Two's holocaust. Weissman, a survivor with a toll, lost her family to National Socialist Party of Germany's crackdown which left 6 million Jews dead. Fortunately, like all, this genocidal policy left survivors like Weissman to tell other about the horrors of the SS. guarded death camps and marches.The films moving narration by Weissman emphasizes the desperation of the times. Appreciatively, the grizzly picture ends on a good note when Weissman falls in love with one of her American liberators.However short, the film seemed to skip over important World War Two events and dates. At no point in the film is the viewer familiarized with the exact setting of Gerda's stages toward rescue. We are not told or shown the progress and/or decline in which the outside world in facing. Filmmaker, Kary Antholis, in my opinion, makes a huge error by not touching base with hardships and genocide of the other persecuted groups such as the gypsies, homosexuals, blacks, and disabled persons. The film could have also benefited from use of the some live action footage of the times as a substitute of grainy, but commanding photographs accompanied by cheap sound effects which never seemed to be properly synchronized. Also, making an allowance for the historical content of the picture, I was once again disappointed. Bear in mind though, that I only found that particular aspect disappointing because I watched the film for educational purposes as I do understand that the film was made for the general audience (after all, it was nominated and won for Best Documentary Feature an Academy Award at the Oscars in 1996). In exception to all of the things that I thought I knew about the Holocaust previous to seeing "One Survivor Remembers" were the Nazi death marches. With such a shocking meaning owned by the two words, I was particularly surprised, but also interested by the rather unorthodox form of torture. Once again, Weissman made it through the villainous ordeal except, this time, loosing a friend, some health, but winning a bet. And that is why I will remember "One Survivor Remembers".

I have had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting Gerda Weissmann Klein, and to be able to talk to, and have her share with me the astounding tale of the hardships she overcame in the Holocaust, was an experience that changed my life. This documentary shows one survivor's story of how she overcame a death march, her town and country turning against her and her family, and the strength it takes to make it through, and the strength is takes to educate generations of children on the horrors of the Holocaust.