This weekend, the drama film "The Survivor" will be released in theaters, based on the story of Harry Haft, an Auschwitz survivor who survived thanks to his boxing skills.
Haft, a native of Belchatow, Poland, was taken to labor camps in 1942, and although he was starved and tortured, he survived.
A year later he caught the eyes of an SS officer, who recognized the potential in his body structure and trained him to box in showcase fights.
The battles were fought by Nazi officers in the Jabuzno concentration camp, one of the satellite camps of Auschwitz.
Haft competed in a total of 76 boxing matches, in all of which he defeated other Jewish prisoners.
After the camp was disbanded in 1945, when Soviet forces began to close in on the Nazis, Haft was led on a death march to an extermination camp but managed to escape.
The plot of the film follows his story in two plot axes: one takes place during the Holocaust, and the other takes place in 1949 when Haft immigrates to New York and tries to establish a boxing career.
His goal: to compete in the arena against Rocky Marciano, the world heavyweight boxing champion.
To arouse interest in Marciano's proximity, Haft presents himself as the survivor of Auschwitz to get public relations.
He secretly has another motive for appearing in the paper: the hope that will catch the eyes of his pre-war Polish lover, Leah (played in a small role by Dr. Zuzowski), whom Haft hopes is still alive.
The film also stars Peter Sarsgard, Vicky Cripps ("Hidden Threads") and Danny De Vito.
"The Survivor" was filmed in 2019 and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall, where it was acquired by cable network HBO.
In the US, it will be televised rather than cinematographically distributed. The film is signed by veteran director Barry Levinson, who won the Academy Award for directing "The Rain Man," starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. Levinson also directed successful films such as "And Justice for All," "Diner." "Avalon" and "Bugsy," and was nominated for five Academy Awards in a row.
Barry Levinson, Photo: AFP
In an online film promotion panel, Levinson said: "I never looked back trying to figure out what kind of films I was making and why, but this time it was very clear: my interest is in the characters and their world, where to find the complexities and explore them. You are drawn to the challenging points in the story. "For moments full of emotion. As a director I see these moments on the monitor. You see how the actors are connected to each other. It's a formative moment in every filmmaking and part of the enjoyment of the profession. Ultimately, you examine human behavior, the human side and the conflicts."
According to Levinson, Harry Haft's story reminded him of the story of a relative of his, a Holocaust survivor.
"I grew up in Baltimore, and in the late '40s my grandmother's brother, who I never knew existed, came to our house. We lived in one cramped house, and he also found a bed. Every night he turned over in his sleep and shouted in a language I did not know. Shelley explained to me that he was in the concentration camps. "This story came back to me when I read the script.
I realized that the heart of the story is a person being haunted by past nightmares, what is today known as post-trauma.
"Physical release from the camp is not a mental release, and these things never go away."
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us