On Thursday October 17th a group came together to watch Triumph of the Spirit. Films about the Holocaust often elicit strong emotional responses in viewers; those emotions can include confusion, fear, sadness, and anger.

The rain poured down outside as we watched this film. It was the fourth time that I had watched this particular movie, and one of many Holocaust movies and documentaries that I have seen in my lifetime…but it was one of the first I had actually watched on a big screen. I did not have the same “escape” from a big screen film as I would have if I watched it through a small window on my computer screen.I was sitting up front, and putting on a stoic face.

For the others in the audience, it was their first time watching this film. Students, faculty, and people from the community stopped in to watch it. Some were purposeful (they needed to watch it for their class) while others were looking for a warm dry place out of the rain. In any case, by the time the film was over, people looked shaken and wanted to go home. Granted, it was late, and no one knew when the rain would let up…but no one wanted to talk about what they had witnessed. They left the auditorium with fear and confusion in their eyes, and perhaps a sense of gratitude…but no one wanted to talk about what they had witnessed.

The ending of another Holocaust film, Fateless, showed a boy who spent a year in Auschwitz returning home to his family. His family was completely unscathed by the Holocaust, while he was obviously damaged and traumatized from his experience. The boy’s uncle waves his hand and says “It’s over now, let’s put it behind us.” His own family treats him like a stranger…or a ghost. Meanwhile, the audience knows what this boy had experienced, and is shocked and outraged.

I would like to offer a second chance to all of those who watched the film on Thursday to come together and discuss their experience. Please feel free to comment on this post if you would be interested in having a debriefing session.