Day three

Tuesday was the first day that I found myself really tired. We watched a variety of films. The first one was done by Jews as a way to promote Poland as a place that was welcoming and prosperous for Jews, it was done in 1938-they obviously had no idea what was in store for them......the next film was of pictures that a German family had- they had left earlier in the 1930's and the film covered then entire family on both sides showing who survived and those who did not-27 died in the camps. We then spent some time talking about the movie "The Pianist" and the producer, Roman Polanski. He is very controversial, but when you know more of his story it makes more sense. He was in the warasaw ghetto with his mother(who was pregnant) and father- his mother was killed almost immediately due to her pregnancy but he and his father survived. now fast forward to what happened to his wife Sharon Tate (and yes that Sharon Tate) and you may have a little better understanding of his tortured life. The hardest part of the day was viewing a film entitled "The World at War" which was a television series in the 1970's. We watched part 20 which obviously on the Holocaust and to be honest it was the hardest Holocaust film I have ever viewed...it was disturbing on so many levels that I actually felt physically sick watching it. One of my classmates had to leave the room, clearly I would never show this to my students although the clips of the SS men testifying to their crimes may be something I use. Difficult day....