It seems unimaginable: a relationship between a Jewish prisoner and an Austrian SS officer at Auschwitz driven more by affection than the dynamics of power? But the taboo romance between beautiful, young Slovak inmate Helena Citron and her not-much-older captor Franz Wunsch is superbly chronicled in this fascinating documentary.
Director Maya Sarfaty uses a chorus of voices as well as artfully deployed archival photos and footage to show the liaison’s repercussions on the couple’s lives and those of their families. Astonishingly, the story of Helena and Franz does not end after her miraculous liberation. Thirty years later, a letter arrives from Wunsch’s wife begging Helena to testify on Wunsch’s behalf in an Austrian court. The result of long years of research, the film is remarkable not only for its unusual central story and unique creative execution, but also for its extensive eyewitness testimonies. Throughout, Sarfaty makes clear the ever-present pressures of Helena’s situation. (Alissa Simon)
Director Biography
Israel Maya Sarfaty was born in Netanya, Israel and is the director of the short films “Yom Yom” (2013), “Heavy Duty” (2014), “Overtime” (2014), the documentary short “The Most Beautiful Woman” (2016), and the feature documentary Love, It Was Not (2016).
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