Our film festival last summer was such a success, my princess and I decided to try it again this year. Unfortunately, she studied the Holocaust this year in history, and decided she wanted to watch all the best Holocaust movies. I begrudgingly agreed, though a couple of the movies I had sworn I would never watch again. I dreaded each one.
We jumped right in with Life is Beautiful. My princess wasn't too sure about it, especially when she found out it was in Italian with English subtitles. However, when I shared with her my reaction the first time I watched it (I got into bed with my then-four-old, who was the same age as the boy in the movie, and sobbed) she was intrigued. I never wanted to watch it again, but I did, and I survived. To my surprise, my princess cried and cried at the end. She ran off right after the movie ended, and the next day admitted she went upstairs to cry some more. It is such a beautiful movie, but I don't plan to ever watch it again. It's just too sad.
Next we watched Paperclips and The Pianist, neither of which I had previously seen. Paperclips was recommended to us, and though interesting, we both thought it was too long. It did give us a lot to talk about, though, as it is a documentary about middle school kids in a small town in Tennessee learning about the Holocaust. We both loved The Pianist, though in fairness to Adrien Brody, we probably should have watched it before Life is Beautiful. Nothing really had a chance afterwards.
We concluded our film festival with a special viewing of Schindler's List at a neighbor's house. It was a special experience because our neighbor is Jewish, so we were able to gain a different perspective than we would have had alone in our family room. Schindler's List is such a powerful film, and gives such an amazing portrayal of what life was like in the concentration camps.
We had watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Sophie's Choice prior to the summer, but we also compared them to the others. Each movie moved us in its own way, and though I did not look forward to these movies, I am so glad to have experienced them with my daughter. We had so many interesting conversations following the movies, and I think we both grew as people through the process. I don't enjoy Holocaust movies, but they do force me to remember, every day, that life is beautiful.
Very weighty topic, but so important that its not forgotten! I've seen nearly all those films, too. I'll have to try The Pianist. I think its great that you shared these experiences with your daughter! And thanks for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteThere is something about reading about and watching movies about the Holocaust that resonates with me. I don't remember really learning about it in school, but I've always wanted to know so much about it. A few years ago I went to mauthausen concentration camp and it moved me beyond words. If you are up for one more movie I liked Sarah's Key.
ReplyDeleteReminded me of a trip I took with my son's class to the museum. There is something that sits heavy on my heart when I visit. I am amazed by the reactions of how the students walk through and listen to the stories. Thankful for our blessings, but remembering all the emotions I feel even reading your blog. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou are so brave to do this with your daughter, but I'm sure it's something she will always remember. As painful as it is, it's so important to teach our kids about this sad event in history. On my 8th grade class trip, we visited The Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. and I will never forget how the images I saw and the feelings I had walking through. "The Hiding Place" is another great story from that era. My husband and I listened to it in the car while on a road trip. I just can't believe the courage of the people who had to live through it!
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