Sobibor, October 14, 1943, 4 p.m. (2001)

Synopsis: When Claude Lanzmann was conducting interviews and doing research for his Holocaust epic SHOAH, he came upon the story of the Sobibor concentration camp and Yehuda Lerner. He decided that what had occurred at Sobibor was important enough... When Claude Lanzmann was conducting interviews and doing research for his Holocaust epic SHOAH, he came upon the story of the Sobibor concentration camp and Yehuda Lerner. He decided that what had occurred at Sobibor was important enough to warrant its own story, and sixteen years after SHOAH, that film is SOBIBOR, OCTOBER 14, 1943, 4 P.M. On the crucial day that is part of the film's title, a group of Jews staged an uprising at a concentration camp in Poland known as Sobibor. Lanzmann combines interview footage he originally shot in 1979 with panoramic shots of the area in and around Warsaw and Sobibor today. The interview itself is captivating; Yehuda Lerner, one of the leaders of the revolt, tells his remarkable story, from his arrival in one camp to his escape from eight camps prior to his pivotal role in the uprising. Lanzmann keeps the camera trained on Lerner, allowing his words and expressions to speak for themselves. It is fascinating watching Lerner tell his tale in Hebrew and then listen to the translator translate it into French for Lanzmann. SOBIBOR is basically a simple film with little camerawork, no music, and no cinematic manipulation, but that's what helps make it powerful, heartbreaking, and joyous all at the same time. [More]

Starring: Yehuda Lerner

Starring: Yehuda Lerner

Director: Claude Lanzmann

Director: Claude Lanzmann
Studio: New Yorker Films

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