April 15th, 22nd & 29th at 8PM
Main Hall
“You’re free. Go home”
Most Holocaust films end with these words, the very words that survivors
heard at liberation. But After Auschwitz is not a typical “Holocaust”
film. It begins with these words, inviting audiences to experience what
happened next. In watching the struggles of survival, the audience feels
a searing connection to our current political climate, as history
teaches us the vital role humanity plays in our hopes for greater
understanding and compassion.
To an American, liberation sounds like it should have been a great
day. For survivors, liberation from the camps was the beginning of a
life long struggle. They wanted to go home, but there was no home left
in Europe. They came to America and wanted to tell people about their
pasts but were silenced for over three decades. “You’re in America now,
put it behind you”.
After Auschwitz is a “Post-Holocaust” documentary that follows six
extraordinary women, capturing what it means to move from tragedy and
trauma towards life. These women all moved to Los Angeles, married,
raised children and became“Americans” but they never truly found a place
to call home. What makes the story so much more fascinating is how
these women saw, interpreted and interacted with the changing face of
America in the second half of the 20th century. In watching the
struggles of survival, the audience feels a searing connection to our
current political climate, as history teaches us the vital role humanity
plays in our hopes for greater understanding and compassion. These
powerful women serve as our guides on an unbelievable journey, sometimes
celebratory, sometimes heart breaking but always inspiring.