Out of the Ashes (2003)

Based on a true story, this heart-wrenching film follows the journey of Gisella Perl (Christine Lahti), a Jewish-Hungarian doctor who manages to survive Auschwitz. Decades later, she's ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

Gisella Perl (book) (as Dr. Gisella Perl), Anne Meredith (teleplay)

Stars:

Christine Lahti, Bruce Davison, Jonathan Cake

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christine Lahti	...	Gisella Perl
Bruce Davison	...	Peter Schuman
Jonathan Cake	...	Dr. Mengele
Jolyon Baker	...	Frederick Krauss
Jessica Beitchman	...	Marta Weiss
Oliver Cotton	...	Moshe Perl
Michelle Fine	...	Fanny Perl
Zoie Palmer	...	Didi Goldstein
Maria Ricossa	...	Esther Jacob
Ingrid Veninger	...	Zozia
Emma Wellbelove	...	Young Gisella
Nina Young	...	Irma Griese
Richard Crenna	...	Jake Smith
Beau Bridges	...	Herman Prentiss
Vytautas Rumsas	...	David Perl

Storyline

Based on a true story, this heart-wrenching film follows the journey of Gisella Perl (Christine Lahti), a Jewish-Hungarian doctor who manages to survive Auschwitz. Decades later, she's applying for U.S. citizenship when she becomes accused of colluding with the Nazis. Her judge and jury are three INS investigators (played by Bruce Davison, Richard Crenna and Beau Bridges) who must decide her fate

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Plot Keywords:

holocaust | doctor | auschwitz | emaciation | starvation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/cruelty and some nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gisella Perl

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ardent Productions, Contenders Only, Cypress Point Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Meryl Streep at first was considered for the role of Dr Perl but she turned it down.

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Goofs

When Gisella is in front of the board in 1.034 and removes her gloves the ID number on her arm is missing.

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Quotes

Gisella Perl: I can recall wanting to be a doctor when I was a little girl. And I became a doctor... a very good doctor, if I can say that. I knew each child I helped bring into the world was a gift, not from me, but from God. But everything changed when I was deported to Auschwitz and began working there as a doctor. You know about some of the things I did there, for the pregnant women. But yes, I did sent unknowingly many women to their deaths within the day of my arrival. And yes, some of the things I did...

User Reviews

BEST PORTRAYAL OF HOLOCAUST LIFE I HAVE SEEN TO DATE.

Out of the Ashes is one of the best portrayals of the life of a Holocaust survivor I have seen yet. As an avid researcher of the Holocaust I have read Dr. Perl's 1948 novel of her life as a concentration camp survivor and the accounts of her work as a camp doctor. Showtime could not have done a more superior job bringing this woman's story to the screen. This is certainly a movie that will grip at your heart strings , Jewish or not. Auschwitz was re-created with fierce accuracy. Even the most hardened heart could not feel anything but pure admiration as the story unfolds of Dr. Perl's struggle to help the women of Auschwitz and her own struggle for survival. Dr. Perl single handedly assisted in the preservation of the Jewish people by helping the innocent women victims to stay alive and fight with the hope that they would one day present the world with a new generation of Jews that would be free. She then came to America and assisted in delivering this new generation before she retired in Israel and ended her life there doing volunteer work. This is an extraordinary story of one of the bravest woman I have ever learned of. I could not give this movie a higher rating.