This event is presented in partnership with The American Institute of Polish Culture Inc. the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland, and the University of Miami Center for the Humanities. It includes a Q&A with Tim Martin (University of Miami) and a reception featuring light bites and wine after the film. Special pricing is available for students ($3) and members ($10).
Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman, the remarkable true story of Irena Gut Opdyke and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy is told.
19-year-old Irena Gut is promoted to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help twelve Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of: the basement of the German commandant's house. Over the next two years, Irena uses her wit, humor, and courage to hide her friends until the end of the German occupation, concealing them amid countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child. Her story is one of the most inspiring of our time.
Tim Martin is a fifth-year doctoral candidate at the University of Miami under the supervision of Hugh Thomas. He joined the Department of History in the fall of 2020 and completed his Medieval and Early Modern Studies Concentration in the Spring of 2023. Before arriving at Miami, he attended St. Cloud State University, receiving his master’s degree in history in 2018. In 2020, he earned a Master of Theological Studies from St. John's University School of Theology and Seminary, focusing on Monastic Studies. Tim’s primary area of study focuses on medieval European history and the roles secular clergy played in northern Europe in the eleventh through thirteenth centuries regarding clerical warfare and the use of violence. Currently, he is teaching a course titled ‘Women Warriors Throughout History: Antiquity to Today,’ which explores the martial feats and portrayal of women as warriors, military commanders, and heroine figures throughout history.
