Schogt, Elida: A Film Trilogy

Newly available on DVD, this trilogy from award-winning filmmaker Elida Schogt examines Holocaust memory, the family and the role of photography in history. (For purchase only. For rentals, see individual titles.) ZYKLON PORTRAIT “Zyklon Portrait” is about Zyklon B – the pesticide transformed into a genocidal weapon by the Nazis in the 1940s. It is also an elegy for the filmmaker’s grandparents; after years of silence, the filmmaker’s mother finally talks about her parents’ horrific fate. A Holocaust film without Holocaust imagery, “Zyklon Portrait “ uses family photographs, underwater photography and hand-painted imagery to draw a personal story out of historical minutiae. THE WALNUT TREE Using a striking combination of documentary and experimental approaches, “The Walnut Tree” explores memories centred on a few family pictures saved when Schogt’s grandparents fled the Nazis in 1943. “In a mere 11 minutes, “The Walnut Tree” provides considerable amount of food for thought. It should be good for generating class discussion about family photos and memories, as well as about the Holocaust. Recommended” (Barb Bergman, Educational Media Reviews Online). SILENT SONG “Silent Song” brings new life to a remarkable piece of 1945 archival footage. In the pandemonium of the liberation of Nazi concentration camp Dachau, a U.S. army cameraman filmed a young boy playing the accordion. This strangely poetic moment offers a contrast to the all-too-familiar WWII liberation images of emaciated prisoners. “Silent Song” is a contemplation of the ephemeral nature of life, images and history.