The Chronicle of the Minsk Ghetto — Claims Conference Film Grants

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The Chronicle of the Minsk Ghetto tells the stories of the Righteous Among the Nations from Belarus — those who saved Jews during the war — and those who were saved thanks to the extraordinary feats of ordinary people.

Synopsis

In the first weeks of the war, the fascists hoped that they would be able to inflame the hatred of the Jews among the population of Belarus. Some people willingly succumbed to German propaganda. But there weren’t many of them.

The first of the Belarusians to receive the title of the Righteous Among the Nations were Andrei Nikolaev and his wife Natalya Stanko for saving the Kazinets family. In 1967, to receive this high award, Antonina Gabis visited Israel, who during the occupation hid the Jewess Ethel Kravets. It was Antonina who planted the first Belarusian tree at the Yad Vashem memorial.

In 1967, the USSR broke off relations with Israel. The search for people who helped Jews during the war was stopped. The Righteous were remembered only in the 90s, when diplomatic relations were restored.

How many of them were there in reality – the Righteous Among the Nations from Belarus? One thousand? Several thousand? The film The Chronicle of the Minsk Ghetto is dedicated to the feat of those who remained human. Historians, publicists from Belarus, Russia, Germany, Israel took part in the filming. However, the main characters of the film were those who saved and those who were saved. These are not only people who survived thanks to the feat of ordinary people, but also their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. After all, the one who saves one life saves the whole world!

Director

Vladimir Lutsky

Film director of the “Countdown” project, the “Chronicle of the Minsk Ghetto” trilogy. In 2014, for the film The Chronicle of the Minsk Ghetto, he received the main prize of the V International Festival of Historical and Military Cinema in Warsaw, the winner of the National Television competition “Televershina” in the nomination “Best Documentary.” Winner of the “TEFI” award and the winner of the “Televershina” in the nomination “Best Director” (2015).