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‘‘The Holocaust is a drug….”

I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors is director Ann Marie Fleming’s animated adaptation of Bernice Eisenstein’s acclaimed illustrated memoir.  Through an artful blend of Eisenstein’s drawings, inventive animation and the author’s own voice, the film weaves together personal and global history. Eisenstein explores her own identity from a past that her parents, both Auschwitz survivors, don’t especially want to talk about. Using the healing power of humour, the film probes the taboos around a very particular second-hand trauma, leading us to a more universal understanding of human experience. The film explores identity and loss through the audacious proposition that the Holocaust is addictive and defining. I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors shakes up perspectives and conveys to a new generation the continuing legacy of the Second World War, which seared the word “genocide” into our collective consciousness. This is a poignant and wry exploration of grief, love, acceptance and resilience, through the enduring quality of family bonds.

2010, 15 min 01 s

J'étais une enfant de survivants de l'Holocauste

Animation Express 2 (Blu-Ray)

Animation Express 2 (DVD 2)

I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors - DVD/J'étais une enfant de survivants de l'Holocauste - DVD

Michael Moskovitz Award for a Film on a Jewish Theme
J.I. Segal Awards
November 14 2012, Montréal - Canada

Best Animated Film Award
Reel to Real International Film Festival for Youth and Families
April 9 to 15 2011, Vancouver - Canada

Special Mention for the Short Film Competition Jury Prize
International Film Festival
March 20 to April 5 2011, Hong Kong - China