Search - I'm Still Here on DVD

Excellent resource for Holocaust & Genocide education in sch

z hayes | TX | 01/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having taught Holocaust history in high school, I think "I'm Still Here" would be an apt educational tool on the subject. This poignant documentary honors the many young victims, most of them teens who underwent the most trying circumstances during WW II in Nazi-occupied Europe. The primary sources here are the diaries kept by young Jews, either in hiding, on the run from the Nazis, or imprisoned, either in ghettos or concentration camps. Some of the diaries are quite familiar, such as entries from the diary of Petr Gintz and also Miriam Korber.



The diary excerpts are read by familiar celebrities such as Zach Braff, Ryan Gosling, Kate Hudson, Brittany Murphy, Joaquin Phoenix, and Elijah Wood, and the soundtrack is a contemporary piece by Moby. Having these familiar names on this documentary would appeal to the teenagers that would probably make up the main audience for this production.



Interspersed with the narration are archival film footage [such as Nazi rallies, refugees fleeing the Nazis] and also photos of the period [acts of brutality by the Nazis, execution of men, women, and children, ghetto scenes etc]. Some of these pictures are disturbing and educators need to be aware of this.



There are bonus features on the disc such as a printable study guide and information, a sneak peek of the program, an interview with Alexandra Zapruder of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, an MTV news segment on I'm Still Here and a brief feature entitled "Genocide Today". Highly recommended for classroom use in Holocaust and genocide education. Also, I'd recommend the book Salvaged Pages: Young Writers` Diaries of the Holocaust (Yale Nota Bene)by Alexandra Zapruder as a complement to this documentary."

A Haunting Testament to Courage

Merlin 7 | Salem, MA | 08/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Watching this chain of tragic stories, I felt a profound sense of soul-tugging sadness, the kind where it rains in your heart . . .Yet the experience is simultaneously uplifting because we feel their strength despite their pain, sadness and gnawing hunger, and we want to fight against the horrors of the contemporary world. Viewing this film is a truly enobling experience."