The MHM Film Club will be screening the Academy Award nominated film “Divided We Fall” (2000), which is made in Czechoslovakia. The film is directed by Jan Hrebejk.

In World War II Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia, a childless couple, Josef and Marie Cizek, can only watch while the Jewish family of their employers, the Wieners, are first removed from their own home to a spare room in their house by the Nazis, then deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp. Years later, young David Wiener, the sole surviving member of that family has managed to escape and make it to the Cizeks.

Although fully aware of the extreme danger of harbouring a Jew in the Third Reich, the Cizek’s can not permit themselves to leave David to certain death and agree to hide him. However, this decision leads to terrible danger of discovery by the Nazis and especially their friend and Nazi collaborator, Horst Prohazka, who is attracted to Marie.

With desperate cleverness and luck, the Cizeks struggle to keep the secret, even when Horst begins to suspect. In doing so, they find themselves making unorthodox choices and learning about the true nature of the people around them.

The MHM Film Club will be screening “Shores of Light” (2015), which goes for 52 mins and features Hebrew, Italian & English subtitles. The film is directed by Yael Katzir.

This is the poignant untold story of warmth and compassion after a terrible war. Thousands of Jewish survivors arrived in Southern Italy after WWII, on their way to the land of Israel. To their surprise they were welcomed by the poor local Italians.

At this time of psychological and physical healing, hundreds of children were born.

The film follows the story of three Israeli women who were born then, in Santa-Maria-di-Leuca (1946). They decide to discover the footprints left by their parents. The film weaves rare historical footage with unique current testimonials capturing a ray of light after great darkness.

We shall also be joined by guest speaker Moshe Fiszman, a survivor and inmate of DP Camp Santa-Maria-di-Leuca.

The film Blinky & Me (2011) goes for 75 mins, and is directed by Tomasz Magierski.

Yoram Gross’ powerful animated stories shaped the identities of countless Australian children who grew up watching them on film and television. Yet it is a little known fact that the many adventures of Blinky Bill, Gross’ depiction of Australian history in The Little Convict (1979), and many other influential narratives, were heavily influenced by the events of the Holocaust in Europe.

Shedding light on this intriguing facet of Australia’s cultural history, Blinky & Me tells the story of Gross’ childhood experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II. Travelling to present day Krakow with his grandchildren, Gross recounts how he narrowly survived persecution and reflects on the role of artistic creation throughout his life.

This event will feature our special guest speakers, who are Yoram Gross and the film’s director, Tomasz Magierski.