1) The 2016 film of the premiere play “Celui Qui M’A Rendu Mon Âme” – the French-spoken adaptation of the play “Who returned my soul… “ originally by Kelly D. Brock – that retells the stories of 10 holocaust survivors – now by students of the Saint-Sépulcre school in Liege , Belgium (Philippe Renette – Centre Scolaire S2J.eu / Michel van der Burg – michelvanderburg.com). Online available and documented via this post CELUI QUI M’A RENDU MON ÂME.
2) The 2012 documentary “Transport XX to Auschwitz” – a film by Karen Lynne & Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg. The attack on this 20th deportation train in Belgium – by three young men – the rescue, and the many escapes and escape attemps are documented in this film by the first-hand accounts of one of the attackers, people that jumped from the train and survivors who returned from Auschwitz. The film is online available and fully documented via this post Documentary film “Transport XX to Auschwitz”.
April 19, 2015. A new edition of our documentary “Transport XX to Auschwitz” is now publicly available online. This new – 2nd – edition with the YouTube title Transport XX to Auschwitz – current version has the latest statistics on the escapes and other updates available.
Full information on this documentary is posted here on this site.
Either watch this film on YouTube via this link (click image) :
Atelier Marcel Hastir showings film Transport XX to Auschwitz – April 2015
The Atelier Marcel Hastir (Brussels, Belgium) combines holocaust related cinema , painting , and music in April.
The documentary «Transport XX to Auschwitz» is available for free public viewing with continuous showings on a large-screen display in the Atelier from Saturday April 11 to Sunday April 19 during the simultaneous exhibition of drawings made in Buchenwald by Georges Despaux.
Opening hours are : Saturday April 11 : 15-20h. And on Sunday April 12, Saturday April 18, Sunday April 19 : 14h-20h.
The team of the Atelier Marcel Hastir will be ready for you with information and further discussion of this unique historic event.
Mr. Avi Mizrachi spoke on the special events, that they are planning together with Young Israel of Hollywood-Fort Lauderdale (Florida, US) in the coming Holocaust Days of Remembrance Week.
Avi Mizrachi – “This film is a documentary film that probably documented the only attempt by … any underground [to attack] … a transport train that was taking Belgium Jews to Auschwitz. They managed to stop the train and about two hundred people escaped. This is really a unique story, that was shot on location, and actually … interviewed some of the survivors that managed to be rescued and survived. …
And the other thing about this particular event : One of the film producers – Mr. Richard Bloom – who is actually living in Palm Beach – wil join us immediately following the film to share … how he with a Dutch producer [ Mr. Michel van der Burg ] went about to produce this film. …
And, in addition, we have … a high school teacher from Belgium [ Mr. Philippe Renette ] who is visiting us this particular week – and he teaches holocaust history in his public high school [ Institut Saint-Sépulcre ] in Liège [ Belgium ]. …
He will join us as well – because he met some of the survivors and invited them to his school to share with the students.
So it … [ will ] give the public an amazing access to … not just the film itself , but to the people that actually were involved in the production of it .. and the teaching of the subject. …
That film shows the bravery of a handful of people who despite the horrible … the odds – they went to attack a transport – a nazi train – and it’s the only documented event in the holocaust. …
This is the lesson that hopefully the people will take from that kind of film : that despite the horrible things happening around us .. if you have the courage, you can change things, and you can save people …
The second event – Thursday, April 16, 2015, 7:00 pm at Temple Sinai of Hollywood – Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Memorial Day Program Avi Mizrachi – “The second event -a few days later on April 16 – which commemorates the annual Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance day – we will hold a special program … at Temple Sinai of Hollywood – were we will have holocaust survivors and WW veterans, who will join us to light a special candle … there will be a beautiful program.
And following the program, the public will have an opportunity to sit together with a few holocaust survivors and to listen to their personal stories of what happened to them during the time – and how they managed to stand up and live an amazing life …
And this year will also mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the camps.”
Joyce Kaufman – “Thank you Avi. People are still trying to do the right thing, and that’s what the theme of that movie is – fighting unbeatable odds ….”
*Quotes and transcription by Michel van der Burg from the podcast episode “850 WFTL The Joyce Kaufman Show Wednesday 03-25-2015 (Hr. 3)”. From the Joyce Kaufman Show 850 WFTL podcast via iTunes
Atelier Marcel Hastir hosted “Transport XX to Auschwitz” screening and filmmaker’s talk
Jan 2015 – Brussels, Belgium. On January 31, the historic Atelier Marcel Hastir hosted the special screening (and Belgium premiere) of the documentary « Transport XX to Auschwitz » for International Holocaust Remembrance Day – 70 years after the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 1945.
The screening was introduced by filmmaker Michel van der Burg with a few words on the history of this special place – the Atelier Marcel Hastir – and the important role of the Atelier in the planning of the attack on the 20th train to Auschwitz.
“ … This place – l’Atelier – is also special to me – because of the long history of art, philosophy, special events … and especially because the Atelier has played an important role in the planning of the attack on the 20th train to Auschwitz. During WW2 the artist Marcel Hastir managed to get permission from the German occupiers to start a drawing and painting school in his Atelier. That school, however, was actually a cover , to have a safe meeting place , for resistance work like printing underground papers , and ….. the planning of the attack on Transport XX. Two of the attackers often came here talking and working : Youra Livschitz and his old schoolmate Jean Franklemont. Youra helped with the printing of underground papers in the cellar of the Atelier (…) Late 1942 – early 1943 these papers warned for the terrible conditions in the east were the deportation trains went. Some people from the Jewish Defense Committee – a resistance group – were thinking of planning an attack on the next train to liberate prisoners – the armed partisans however considered that too dangerous with so many people involved. Youra Livschitz was also told about these plans. He did not belong to any organisation – a free spirit – and Youra could not let go of that idea to stop a train and free the prisoners. So , here in the Atelier – early 1943 – Youra and his friend Jean Franklemon planned to attack the next deportation train, together with Robert Maistriau – who also was an old schoolmate. These 3 young men from Brussels stopped the 20th Transport that left Malines with over 1600 people direction Auschwitz on April 19, 1943. That attack on Transport XX is unique. Of the many deportation trains in Europe – only this train was attacked to free people. And people that escaped from Transport XX – like Régine Krochmal – knew they could count on Marcel Hastir’s atelier for help.”
After the screening in a discussion lead by Laura Muris (Atelier Marcel Hastir), Michel van der Burg talked with the audience about the film, about these people’s stories, and also the many new stories that emerged since the film came out – stories from children of various other passengers of Transport XX who contacted us – like the stories (on this site) of the escape of the 14-y-old Robert Rogers, and the escape of Viviane … holding tight in the womb of her three-months pregnant mother Isabella Weinreb Castegnier … to be born 6 months later.
Special event April 2015 (USA) – as part of the Holocaust Remembrance Week :
Screening of documentary film “Transport XX to Auschwitz ” on April 12, 2015 with guest speakers Philippe Renette (Belgium) and filmmaker Richard Bloom (US) to lead a discussion and Q&A after the film screening at Young Israel of Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Florida , US.
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