Remember Belsen

Since Holocaust denial has grown since WW2, this film is to reassert the intended consequences of Hitler’s Third Reich. Because the Germans destroyed most documentation that did exist of the mass murder of Jewish people, the imagery and reporting of the liberation of Belsen concentration camp at war’s end proved to the world beyond doubt, that the Holocaust was a reality – and the input by Australians in recording it was significant.

There was possibly no footage taken in the 20th century that had more impact than the images of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. As world Jewish communities commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, this film will tour the world as a visual reminder of their suffering – and most importantly to educate the general public that this is what hate and racism achieves. The message: this should never happen again.

Short-term outcomes are educating the film’s target audiences and the general public, especially teachers, students and business leaders, that the liberation of the Belsen concentration camp at the end of WW2 came about by pure chance. The result of the Nazi secret campaign against the European Jewish population and other perceived dissidents. But it was the Australian war correspondent, Alan Moorehead, one of many other journalists that were taken on a tour of the Belsen camp after liberation, who asked the question, “Why?” adding, “How did we let it happen?” Afterwards, this literary giant mused his thoughts on “Why?” in his book “Eclipse” about the last two years of WW2.
Mid-term outcomes is to encourage debate on Moorehead’s analysis from both the target audience and the general public but with a special emphasis on student response.
Long-term outcomes is to promote a campaign to question Australian students and the world populace if any lessons were learnt from Belsen!

Since the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Belsen concentration camp coincides with the th anniversary of the Holocaust, itself commemorated globally by Jewish communities, Jewish organisations in Australia and the rest of the world will be targeted for screenings of our film. Lobbying will be done via Jewish newspapers, organisations and schools. Film to tie in with Belsen 75 campaign in the UK and Liberation 75 in Canada plus Jewish historian, Mark Celinscak to help lobby film with the Association for Jewish Studies in the US which operates out of 60 Universities across the country.

1. After each screening a question by a production staffer would be to ask if each viewer would recommend the film on their personal social media sites. A show of hands is what action the production team wants.

2. After each screening, questionnaires to be handed out asking if the film urges viewers to inform family, friends or colleagues what they learnt from the film and if anyone is moved enough to add to that action by arranging a screening in their community. Also random members of the audience will be asked for their response to the film on camera. Clips cut from these sessions will be used to further promote film on social media sites.

3. After school screenings, students will be asked if they would write a critique or essay on their response on watching the film and what they learnt from it. This can be in the form of a competition, where the winning school can select a group of students to visit the Belsen Memorial Park, working in with airline and hotel support.