Thursday, September 26, 2013

Last Flight of Petr Ginz, The



Brilliant and creative film on gifted 16-year-old Czech writer and artist killed during holocaust - Riveting!
Until I watched this 66-minute film (2012), I had no idea who Petr Ginz was, and until 2007 neither did most people; even though who studied the holocaust. But, when one of Ginz' drawings was chosen to go on the space shuttle Columbia, and it was mentioned in reports of Columbia's fatal crash, his name got out. His sister, Eva, two years his junior survived the holocaust and discovered his illustrated diaries and they were published in book form in 2008. Through masterful direction and the creative use of animation (to bring Ginz's story to life), Directors Sandy Dickson and Churchill Roberts have told the world about this "genius", who, at age 6 was making drawings, and by age 14 he had written five novels and, by 16 produced 170 drawings and painting and edited an underground newspaper in the concentration camp in Terezin. At age 16 he was transported to Auschwitz where he died in the gas chamber.
As the film progressed - using many archival family photos provided by Eva - and...

Amazing story of Petr Ginz
An amazing story of a remarkable young man during the darkest of times. If only we all could have his heart, courage, and strength to live like Petr did. The film incorporates a great story using historical photos, animation, and real time with excellent music. Two thumbs up!

An extraordinary young life, cruelly extinguished in the flames of the Holocaust
"The Last Flight of Petr Ginz" is a compelling documentary that chronicles the brief life of Holocaust victim, Petr Ginz. Back in 2003, when space shuttle Columbia was preparing for its 28th mission, Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon wished to take something from the Holocaust on board with him and Yad Vashem gave him a drawing of Earth from space as imagined by Petr Ginz, who drew it when he was 14-years-old while being incarcerated at Terezin concentration camp during WW II. Petr's sister, Eva Ginz Pressburger (who lives in Israel), thinks it is fitting that her brother finally got to go to space as he once wished.

When the space shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, the publicity led to the discovery of Petr's diary in a Prague attic.

The format of this documentary is wonderfully imaginative in piecing together Petr's life story. In a wonderful blend of animation, interviews with Petr's sister, and archival materials such as video...

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