Here is a calendar of upcoming events, up and down the country. Some are organized by us, others by like-minded organizations and groups.
JIFF is the home of the most comprehensive range of Israeli and Jewish-themed films in Australia and New Zealand. The films premiere in our annual three-week film festival in November or our newly established Holocaust Film Series in March. JIFF is building on the long and proud 24-year history of Jewish film festivals in Australia.
Son of Saul (2015)
In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival upon trying to salvage from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son. 107 minutes.
Cannes Film Festival 2015
| Won FIPRESCI Prize |
Competition László Nemes |
| Won François Chalais Award |
László Nemes |
| Won Grand Prize of the Jury |
László Nemes |
| Won Vulcain Prize for the Technical Artist |
Tamás Zányi (sound designer)
for the outstanding contribution of sound to the narration.
|
| Nominated Golden Camera |
László Nemes |
| Nominated Palme d’Or |
László Nemes |
Ghent International Film Festival 2015
| Nominated Grand Prix |
Best Film László Nemes |
Hamburg Film Festival 2015
| Nominated Critics Award |
László Nemes |
Hawaii International Film Festival 2015
| Nominated EuroCinema Hawai’i Award |
Best Film László Nemes |
London Film Festival 2015
| Nominated Best Film |
Official Competition László Nemes |
Sarajevo Film Festival 2015
| Won Special Jury Prize |
Feature Film László Nemes |
| Nominated Heart of Sarajevo |
Best Film László Nemes |
A NZFOI Wellington Outing – Tuesday 9th May 2017 6.15pm @ Penthouse Cinema Brooklyn.
(Meet from 5.45pm for drinks first if you can)
Come along and see the movie “Denial” with other NZFOI folk. Tickets only $10.
Did you know that the Simon Weisenthal Centre’s work now is primarily geared to countering holocaust denial and pursuing holocaust deniers like David Irving. Consider what does it take legally to do this? What is the holocaust evidence?
Movie Synopsis:
A Jewish university professor in Jewish studies at an American university named Deborah E. Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) cites historian David Irving in a book about Holocaust deniers. Pretty straight forward you would think. An open and shut case over the death of 6 million Jews. Think Yad Vashem, Auschwitz… Irving then accuses her of libel and brings an action against her. Now the tables are turned and she is the one being accused. The key issue becomes a legal battle for historical truth. As the burden of proof is placed on the accused, Lipstadt and her legal team must fight to prove the truth of the holocaust. How would you answer this question????
RSVP Joanna Moss at joannamoss@nzfoi.org or phone (04) 802 5956 or (022) 154 7865
You’re invited to a free screening of the movie “Woman in Gold.”
It is the story of Maria Altmann, an elderly Jewish refugee living in Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles, who, together with her young lawyer, Randy Schoenberg, fought the government of Austria for almost a decade to reclaim Gustav Klimt’s iconic painting of her aunt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which was stolen from her relatives by the Nazis in Vienna just prior to World War II. Altmann took her legal battle all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled on the case Republic of Austria v. Altmann (2004).
It stars Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes, Tatiana Maslany, Max Irons, Charles Dance, Elizabeth McGovern, and Jonathan Pryce.
A strong cast, an absorbing story.
The film scores 4.7 out of five on Amazon reviews.
Please bring a plate of finger food. The library will be open so be sure to bring your returns.
Sunday, 2pm, May 14.
Northwood Villa Clubrooms, Northwood Villas Crescent, Christchurch, 8051.
How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia
Please note that the venue has been changed from Room 201 to Room 203 in the same building.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.
How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.
How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia
There will be public meetings also in Wellington and Auckland; keep an eye out on our website for notices of these events once the times and dates have been confirmed.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.
How I survived the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Gaspar is a Holocaust survivor and educator, who uses his experiences to help inform young people about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination. Peter was born in Bratislava in Czechoslovakia and survived the war by going into hiding. Along with his parents, Peter was hidden for three years and then during the last six months, Peter and his mother were interned in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Peter currently volunteers with the Courage to Care program in Melbourne inspiring young people to be more accepting and tolerant. This year he will also be travelling to schools throughout New Zealand, through the HOPE Project.
2pm, Sunday, May 19.
NORTHWOOD VILLA CLUBROOMS, O’NEILL AVE, NORTHWOOD, CHRISTCHURCH
“In 1996, the historian Deborah Lipstadt was pursued in the UK courts by the notorious Holocaust denier David Irving, for calling him a falsifier of history in her book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. This movie version of those events, written for the screen by David Hare and directed by Mick Jackson, stars Rachel Weisz as Lipstadt and Timothy Spall as Irving; it has been coolly received by some on the festival circuit, its drama dismissed as stagey and flat. I disagree. For me, it has clarity, urgency and overwhelming relevance. Because denial is fashionable again. Irving himself is gloating at the way “alt–right” fascists are threatening to make him and his poisonous flat-earthery acceptable once more. The US president himself believes in “alternative facts”. So for me this film, telling its story with punchy commitment and force, was a breath of fresh air.” — Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
This significant New Zealand-inspired and designed Memorial and public programme of events provides an opportunity to inspire and empower individuals to stand against prejudice, discrimination and apathy.
A memorial made by young people to honour other young people who were killed in their millions in another place and time.
We encourage you to visit this powerful and moving memorial to the children of the Holocaust to learn more and reflect on what must never be forgotten.
How many is 1.5 million?
The Germans and their collaborators killed as many as 1.5 million children during the Holocaust including children related to New Zealand’s Holocaust survivors and refugees.
When Justine Hitchcock (Principal of Wellington’s Moriah Jewish Day School) was teaching her young pupils about the Holocaust she decided to help the children understand the enormity of 1.5 million lives lost.
Justine initiated a project to collect 1.5 million buttons — one button for each child that perished. The children themselves managed the project, no child was more than 12-years old. Buttons were sent in from the local Wellington community, from across New Zealand and even from overseas. Many buttons came with personal stories and photographs.
The project evolved into a story of collective remembrance — a memorial.
The majority of the buttons will be contained in a truly unique design and installation by Matthijs Siljee of Massey University’s School of Design; the design includes a series of cascading metallic cabinets containing the buttons.
Strong education focus
The memorial has a strong education focus including an interactive educational section — especially relevant for school children.
The Holocaust in Services to School’s Topic Explorer tool also has curated online resources for students.
The focus of the memorial is to teach:
- what the Holocaust was
how children were affected by the Holocaust
the importance of being an ‘Upstander, not a bystander’ when you witness bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Programme of free events:
The story of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial
Discover the story behind the Memorial with Chris Harris, CEO of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand and guests.
Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1
Wednesday 22 July, 5pm for a 5.30pm start
Upstander Stories
An evening of stories and discussion about the importance in Christchurch to be Upstanders, encourage inclusivity and respect diversity in all its forms.
This is a special LinC Activator event in collaboration with Christchurch City Libraries as part of The Children’s Holocaust Memorial.
Speakers
Chris Harris – CEO Holocaust Centre of New Zealand
Jo Bailey, Zahra Hussaini and Rebecca Parnham – Uniting Canterbury Women
Tayla Reece, Rose Cook, Aporonia Arahanga and Ayesha Jones – LinC Puāwai Youth Programme
Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1
Tuesday 11 August, 6pm, doors open 5.30pm.
Bookings required, click here to register
Guided Tours
Personal tours of the Memorial with Chris Harris, CEO of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.
Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1
Thursday 23 July, 6pm
Friday 24 July, 12pm
Tuesday 11 August, 12pm
Documentary Screenings
Screenings of NZ Survivor Stories and The Courage to Care, documentaries that profile Jews who were rescued during the Holocaust, rescuers from France, Poland and Holland and the questions raised about the moral and ethical dilemmas that the rescuers confronted.
Ngā Purapura / Activity Room, Hapori | Community, Level 1
Sunday 2 August, 2pm
Saturday 5 September, 2pm
Book Launch and Activities
Join writer Elissa Weissman for launch of the paperback version of her novel The Length of A String. A novel about Imani, a young girl who is adopted, and ready to search for her birth parents. But when she discovers the diary her Jewish great-grandmother wrote chronicling her escape from Holocaust-era Europe, Imani begins to see family in a new way. There will also be lots of fun activities to enjoy.
Free, no bookings required.
Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1
Sunday 13 September, 3pm