Holocaust Martyrs 'and Heroes' Remembrance Day is one of those days that we all unite to remember the past of the Jews of Europe during World War II.
Everyone does it in their own way, and one of the most popular is watching movies that deal with the difficult subject.
Countless "Holocaust films" have been released over the years, most of which we have not heard of at all, but from time to time a work emerges that shakes the world and becomes one not to be missed.
On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, we have prepared a list of some movies that will suit the date.
"Schindler's list"
This masterpiece immediately became a cinematic classic, and not only in the fields of the genre in which it deals.
Steven Spielberg has directed a film that is not easy to watch, one that has set a standard for all "Holocaust films" since its release.
But if we look at the film itself, and not just its cinematic importance, we will find that it is an excellent film for everything.
For more than 3 hours, Steven Spielberg, who won for directing one of the most justified Oscars, weaves many stories without losing focus on the plot, which features other aspects of the Jews who were brutally murdered at the time.
The "Schindler's List" is no less a must-watch for any movie buff, and although it is an obvious and banal choice - it is one that simply justifies itself at every moment.
"Goodbye kids"
Naturally, when you are a filmmaker dealing with your personal experiences on the big screen, this will be a sensitive issue for you.
Louis Mal did just that in "Goodbye Children," which follows four Jewish children hidden in a Catholic boarding school where the French screenwriter-director studied.
The film has won numerous awards since its release, including the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and has done so very rightly.
Mal's personal experiences came to the screen from the blood of his heart, and his desire to tell this story for the best could not be missed - something he did with honors.
No wonder it still evokes a lot of emotions even after so many years since it came out.
"Shaul's son"
Laslo's Hungarian Freckle's film is a very difficult film to watch, even though it does not clearly show the horrors of the character of Saul, who was a member of the Sonderkommando in the Auschwitz extermination camp.
Unlike many other Holocaust films, Freckle did not base the film on a real character, but that does not stop viewers from connecting with the character of Saul, who wants to bring for a proper burial a child he does not know at all and who he claims is his son.
The cinematic expression is unconventional, among other things through many close-ups about the lead actor, Gaza Rohrig, whose face says everything without saying anything.
This is further proof that if given the opportunity for foreign films, we can have an experience we are not used to from American cinema - and be amazed at the talent that exists outside of Hollywood.
"Life is Beautiful"
Oh, Roberto Benini - what an amazing film you have made and so different from the genre you are dealing with.
This tragic comedy focuses on the character of Guido, an amusing waiter who is sent with his son to a concentration camp, but even before that he has created world-class buildings in their entirety that showcase the lives of Italian Jews.
From the moment Guido and his son Joshua arrive at the concentration camp next to mother Dora, who is not Jewish at all, the father tries to save their lives by telling Joshua that this is all about the game.
In doing so, he hides from him the many horrors that take place around him.
The film, which won 3 Oscars (including for Benini's play and Best Foreign Language Film), sparked controversy upon its release, as it showcases humor in a genre that has always been serious.
Despite the criticism around him, "Life is Beautiful" does not at any point laugh at the atrocities themselves, but at the inhuman situation that millions of people have encountered - and overall tries to offer slightly optimistic angles to what has happened.
The great respect that Benini has for his characters and what they go through cannot be missed, and he should be given immense respect for his true courage in presenting another side to the coin.
"Sophie's Choice"
Let’s start with one of the most important things to note about this film: This is the best performance ever in the long and fine career of Meryl Streep, who rightly won an Oscar for her performance as a Holocaust survivor who had to make the worst choice of all.
The success of Alan J.'s film.
Pacquilla puts it as a film that many others try to resemble in the need to make the audience move to tears from various scenes, but in this case Pacquera directed the film with great sensitivity, which manages to uproot the kitsch from the film.
"The Pianist"
Immediately after winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Roman Polanski's film received huge worldwide acclaim - which led him to win three Oscars, including directing and acting by Adrian Brody, who plays the Polish-Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Spielman, who is trying to survive the Warsaw Ghetto.
Polanski, a Holocaust survivor himself, used the project to bring to the canvas some of his own experiences in Auschwitz, even if it is not expressed on screen, and it certainly paid off.
"The Pianist" is one of the best Holocaust films, mainly thanks to the director, whose personal connection to the story cannot be missed - which makes him several times superior to other Holocaust films.
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