| Pola's March is the inspirational documentary
film that chronicles Holocaust survivor Pola Susswein's emotional
journey back to Poland.
The film travels from balmy, vibrant Israel, where Pola is an active
member of her local community, to Poland, where Pola recounts for
the first time her war experiences to 200 students on the March
of the Living program.
Aware that she is one of the last remnants of a generation that
is dying out, Pola agreed to relate and examine, with extraordinary
honesty and at considerable sacrifice, the most intense experience
of her life.
Although she had never openly discussed her traumatic past with
family or friends, Pola reveals her story to this group of teenagers
out of her own need to explore her experiences, and to ensure that
the lessons of the Holocaust are transmitted to future generations.
The open dialogue that was established between Pola and the March
of the Living students created an intimate and informal setting
for the film. The group visits the cities of Warsaw, Lublin and
Krakow, as well as the concentration camps of Treblinka, Majdanek,
Plashow, Auschwitz, and Birkenau. Pola returns to her hometown of
Krakow and visits her childhood home and her grandfather's bakery,
remarkably unchanged in a half-century.
The film also captures a touching reunion in Sweden between Pola
and the long-lost family that took her in after the war. Pola fondly
recalls the country and the people that brought her back to life
and gave her hope again.
Pola's March relies primarily on contemporary scenes for its emotional
power; archival concentration camp footage is not used. The film
does present poignant family and historic photographs, as well as
newly recovered records and documents from Poland and Sweden.
Pola's March is a film about one woman's triumph over her past,
and a unique and compelling portrait of a survivor today, more than
50 years after the war.
Film Festival Selection
Crystal Heart Award Heartland Film Festival, Indianapolis,
Indiana
Bronze Apple National Educational Media Network, Oakland,
California
Official Selection Palm Springs International Film Festival
Mumbai (Bombay) International Film Festival
Vancouver Jewish Film Festival
Sacramento Festival of Cinema
Dhaka (Bangladesh) International Film Festival
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