Swimming in Auschwitz
Swimming in Auschwitz
Six Jewish women, from different countries and different backgrounds, found themselves deported to the notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, during the Holocaust. This film attempts to chronicle that experience through those same female eyes. While subject to the same physical hardships as men, these women do not dwell on that. Instead, they speak of camp families and faith, uplifting one another while trying to remain human. It was this path of spiritual resistance that, while not responsible for their direct survival, led to their ability to survive with healthy minds and spirits despite the constant barrage of their surroundings. Swimming in Auschwitz gives us a perspective of the camp, its surroundings and the Holocaust that we need to understand and remember, so that we never forget.
“SWIMMING IN AUSCHWITZ is a beautifully conceived and executed blend of interview clips, archival stills and movie footage in which the strength of the women is powerfully expressed without being the slightest bit maudlin.” (Barbara Vilander, Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
“Kean has woven a compelling narrative by organizing the women’s testimony around various themes, but by cutting back and forth between the women’s comments — sometimes practically letting one subject begin a sentence and another finish it — Kean has given his documentary a cinematic feel.” (Robert Butler, Kansas City Star)
“The film is notable for sharing the woman’s experience of the notorious camp…[Director Jon] Kean records their histories with great respect and compassion for the individual spirit of each of the women involved.” (Tom Teicholz, Jewish Journal)
“One of the most fruitful developments in Holocaust studies the past decade has been the new attention paid to the story of women caught up in the Nazi murder machinery. With Jon Kean’s excellent new documentary SWIMMING IN AUSCHWITZ, that shift in focus has entered into the film world.” (George Robinson, Jewish Week)
“In this daredevil tightrope walk that strives to respect the untouchable seriousness of the subject while highlighting complex, absurd outbreaks of “spiritual resistance,” Kean succeeds in not only doing both, but also in infusing the film with an unexpected warmth.” (Nick Johnstone, London Chronicle)
Awards
Top Five Finalist
Audience Choice Award, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2007
Festivals
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival Warsaw Jewish Film Festival
Declaration of Independence Film Festival, London, UK
Nantucket Film Festival
“SWIMMING IN AUSCHWITZ is a beautifully conceived and executed blend of interview clips, archival stills and movie footage in which the strength of the women is powerfully expressed without being the slightest bit maudlin.” (Barbara Vilander, Santa Barbara International Film Festival)
“Kean has woven a compelling narrative by organizing the women’s testimony around various themes, but by cutting back and forth between the women’s comments — sometimes practically letting one subject begin a sentence and another finish it — Kean has given his documentary a cinematic feel.” (Robert Butler, Kansas City Star)
“The film is notable for sharing the woman’s experience of the notorious camp…[Director Jon] Kean records their histories with great respect and compassion for the individual spirit of each of the women involved.” (Tom Teicholz, Jewish Journal)
“One of the most fruitful developments in Holocaust studies the past decade has been the new attention paid to the story of women caught up in the Nazi murder machinery. With Jon Kean’s excellent new documentary SWIMMING IN AUSCHWITZ, that shift in focus has entered into the film world.” (George Robinson, Jewish Week)
“In this daredevil tightrope walk that strives to respect the untouchable seriousness of the subject while highlighting complex, absurd outbreaks of “spiritual resistance,” Kean succeeds in not only doing both, but also in infusing the film with an unexpected warmth.” (Nick Johnstone, London Chronicle)
Awards
Top Five Finalist
Audience Choice Award, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2007
Festivals
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival Warsaw Jewish Film Festival
Declaration of Independence Film Festival, London, UK
Nantucket Film Festival
Played at
Lumiere Music Hall 5.02.08 - 5.08.08
Swimming in Auschwitz Get Tickets
There are currently no showtimes for this film. Please check back soon.