Film giving ‘window into the experiences of 80 Holocaust survivors’ launched

A new film which collates the thoughts of 80 people who fled Nazi oppression has been launched by the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR).

‘Voices for a Better World’ is described as “a window into the experiences of Holocaust survivors, which reflects on the legacy and future resonance of testimony”.

AJR has been recording testimony since 2003 in its Refugee Voices archive and compiled the video with the help of director Dr Bea Lewkowicz, who asked refugees how they made sense of their disrupted lives, what they worried about now, and what were their hopes for the future.

The online launch event was attended by Ambassador Michaela Küchler, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and Lord Eric Pickles, Special Envoy for post-Holocaust Issues.

They were joined by AJR chief executive Michael Newman and AJR members Eva Clarke, Kurt Marx, Ann Kirk, and Bob Kirk, whose testimonies feature in the film.

“This confirms our commitment to safeguard, protect, and share the personal and collective stories of our interviewees,” said Lewkowicz. “The digital realm provides us with endless opportunities, but we also need to make sure that we protect the testimonies from misuse.”