Excerpts from private film collections of prewar Jewish life

A glimpse into the lives of individuals who were soon swept into the destruction of the war. (28:45 minutes) Part One of a three-part video series representing the Holocaust experience with the rich and very personal imagery found in the Museum’s private film collections. Such vivid cultural documents is at once familiar, intimate, and individual, and captures everyday subjects which are quite similar to how people experience life today -- like holidays, birthdays, vacations, or leisure activities. Created solely of amateur films or home movies from over 30 collections, the production conveys private domestic life and everyday activities with a great deal of emotional power, especially when paired with narration about the fates of those pictured. The sixty-minute compilation is comprised of three chapters featuring: 1) prewar Jewish life in Europe; 2) life inside Nazi Germany; and 3) liberation of the camps and the return to life.