Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust is a Canadian television documentary film directed by Rebecca Snow, which premiered in 2019 on History.[1] The film focuses on Helen Yermus, Maxwell Smart and Rose Lipsyzc, three Jewish Canadians who survived the Holocaust as children, as they share their stories and explore unresolved questions from their histories in conjunction with historians, genealogists and forensic experts.[2]
| Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Written by | Rebecca Snow |
| Directed by | Rebecca Snow |
| Starring | Helen Yermus Maxwell Smart Rose Lipsyzc |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Steve Gamester |
| Cinematography | Mark Caswell Alysha Galbreath |
| Editor | Graeme Ball |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Production company | Saloon Media |
| Original release | |
| Network | History |
| Release | November 11, 2019 |
The film aired on History on November 11, 2019, and was rebroadcast on November 16 by the Global Television Network.[3]
Awards
editThe film received a Banff Rockie Award nomination for Best History and Biography Documentary at the 2020 Banff World Media Festival.[4]
It received six Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, for Best History Program or Series, Best Editorial Research (Natasza Niedzielska, Heather Kohlmann, Steve Gamester, Rebecca Snow, Naomi Wise), Best Visual Research (Elizabeth Klinck, Elspeth Domville, Monica Penner), Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Factual Series (Mark Caswell, Alysha Galbreath), Best Direction in a Documentary (Rebecca Snow) and Best Writing in a Documentary (Rebecca Snow).[5] It won the award for Best Visual Research.[6]
The Boy in the Woods
editIn 2018, Smart published the memoir The Boy in the Woods, centred on his childhood experience of having to fend for himself in the forests of Poland during the war.[7]
In 2022, Snow entered production on the feature film adaptation The Boy in the Woods,[8] which premiered at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.[9]
References
edit- ^ Joseph Brean, "Canadian holocaust survivor reunited with baby he saved from Nazis when he was just a child". National Post, November 4, 2019.
- ^ Michael Fraiman, "Filmmakers tackle survivors’ childhood mysteries". Canadian Jewish News, November 6, 2019.
- ^ Cassandra Szklarski, "Holocaust educators worry lessons of the past fading with new generation". CTV News, November 7, 2019.
- ^ Etan Vlessing, "U.S., U.K. Shows Dominate Banff Rockie Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter, April 21, 2020.
- ^ Brent Furdyk, "Television Nominees Announced For 2021 Canadian Screen Awards, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Leads The Pack With 21 Nominations". ET Canada, March 30, 2021.
- ^ Rachel West, "‘Canada’s Drag Race’, ‘Property Brothers’, Jann Arden Among Canadian Screen Awards Lifestyle And Reality Winners". ET Canada, May 17, 2021.
- ^ Janice Arnold, "Maxwell Smart’s new memoir details how he survived as a lone child in the forest". Canadian Jewish News, July 19, 2018.
- ^ Angelica Babiera, "Lumanity, JoBro drama The Boy in the Woods launches at AFM". Playback, November 2, 2022.
- ^ Heidi Ulrichsen, "Cinéfest 2023 features strong Canadian content". Sudbury.com, August 23, 2023.