As Seen Through These Eyes

News/Reviews:

Survivors' artwork explains Holocaust 'As Seen Through These Eyes'
by Linda Cook Quad-City Times
“As Seen Through These Eyes” presents two powerful messages.

The first is the more obvious: Through the eyes of concentration camp artists, both adult and child, we can better understand the horrors of the Holocaust in works that will last for all of time.

The second is more subtle: The fine arts are part of what gives us humanity. And their importance is immeasurable.
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A Memorable Kristallnacht Commemoration
Jewish Free Press
The Calgary Jewish community's Kristallnacht commemoration this year created a dramatic, memorable moment when one of the subjects of a Holocaust film almost literally walked out of the film and live onto the bema of Beth Tzedec Synagogue.
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Film Features Artists in the Holocaust
By Maria Arroyave The Miami Herald
At the age of 9, Nazis took Judith Goldstein to the Vilna Ghetto, separating her from her father and brother, and forcing her into a life of torture and fear during the Holocaust. She and her mother spent four years at Vilna and the Stutthof Concentration Camp.
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A special artists' view of the Holocaust
By Donald H. Harrison The Jewish Citizen
As Seen Through These Eyes documents the escalation of horror in Nazi-run Europe from the promulgation of anti-Jewish laws to the development of concentration camps, gas chambers and crematoria. What distinguishes this documentary is that it juxtaposes historic newsreel footage with the drawings, paintings and interviews of artists who were able to document the genocide that they survived.
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MOVING PICTURES: THE STORIES BEHIND THE MOVIES
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival)
Opening with poet Maya Angelou's authoritative whispers as she recites "I know why the caged bird sings," As Seen Through These Eyesbears witness to the art of the inspired souls whose compulsion to create art in the most dire of circumstances sometimes saved their lives, but also aided thousands of others to touch upon their experiences from within the most oppressive man-slaughter in recent history.
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Synopsis:

As Maya Angelou narrates this powerful documentary, she reveals the story of a brave group of people who fought Hitler with the only weapons they had: charcoal, pencil stubs, shreds of paper and memories etched in their minds. These artists took their fate into their own hands to make a compelling statement about the human spirit, enduring against unimaginable odds.

Film Details:

Country of Origin: USA 2008
Original Language: English
Running Time: 70 minutes
Writer: Hilary Helstein
Director: Hilary Helstein
Producers: Hilary Helstein, Michael Rosendale, Amy James

Cast:

NARRATED BY MAYA ANGELOU

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