Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During WWII (2002)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Aviva Slesin

Writer:

Toby Appleton Perl (writer)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Through interviews we meet some of the people who risked their lives to hide Jewish children during World War II and how this experience has continued to affect the survivors.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Jewish | WWII

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Runtime:

USA:72 min | USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Mistake leads to enlightening film

This documentary, which I admit I picked up thinking it was a narrative film, was beautifully done. The stories are personal and moving, particularly the reunions of the rescuers and the children. It's fascinating to see how many different types of relationships formed, and the numerous ways in which being a rescuer or a rescuee changed the course of people's lives. Coming from a narrator who experienced being a hidden child herself, every story has deeper meaning. Whether it was a teenager who got stuck with her babysitting charges despite being only a few years older than them, or the woman who thought of her rescuer as more her mother, even though she lost contact at age two and spent her life with her real mother, or the boy who hid in a closet for two years - something will touch you. You will learn something about World War II from a personal viewpoint, not just facts on a page.