Martha
2020
21 min
Coming soon
Even at a frail 90, Martha Katz has an impish energy that remains undiminished. She chides grandson-filmmaker Daniel Schubert over his choice of shirt during a visit to her Los Angeles home, but there’s trauma beneath the humour. At 14, Martha and her family were torn from their village in Czechoslovakia and shipped to Auschwitz. A visit to a Holocaust museum ignites painful memories, including a haunting personal encounter with one of Nazi Germany’s most notorious figures. For Martha, however, the emphasis is on a tough but rewarding postwar life in Winnipeg, which she fondly recalls in this warm, intimate …
This work deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
Details
Even at a frail 90, Martha Katz has an impish energy that remains undiminished. She chides grandson-filmmaker Daniel Schubert over his choice of shirt during a visit to her Los Angeles home, but there’s trauma beneath the humour. At 14, Martha and her family were torn from their village in Czechoslovakia and shipped to Auschwitz. A visit to a Holocaust museum ignites painful memories, including a haunting personal encounter with one of Nazi Germany’s most notorious figures. For Martha, however, the emphasis is on a tough but rewarding postwar life in Winnipeg, which she fondly recalls in this warm, intimate portrait of an unrelenting survivor.
This work deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
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directorDaniel Schubert
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writerDaniel SchubertBirdie Hamilton
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producerShirley VercruysseTeri Snelgrove
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director of photographyMichael Dinsmore
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editorHart SniderJason Schneider
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composerBrent Belke
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line producerJennifer Roworth
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production managerCaroline Coutts
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1st assistant cameraTravis Lee
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gafferChris Judson
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gripMathew Gilrow
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construction coordinatorTravis Devlin
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location managerCaroline Coutts
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production designerJennifer LeCaine
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art department assistantAnäisa Visser
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costume designerBarbara Gregusova
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hair artistPamela SilveyCatherine Sherwin
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makeup artistPamela SilveyCatherine Sherwin
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production assistantMathew GilrowÖzgün Gündüz
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castingCatharine FalconBim Narine
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castMila BursacShaun MorseOrsolya Szabo
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location sound recordistIryna Kucherenko
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sound designerChris McIntosh
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re-recording mixerChris McIntosh
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musicianPeggy LeeMark Ferris
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colouristLorne Wright
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visual effectsBun Lee
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titlesJason Lau
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creditsJason Lau
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researcherCaroline Coutts
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technical coordinatorWes Machnikowski
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production coordinatorNicolas Ayerbe BaronaNathan Conchie
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studio administratorCarla Jones
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marketing managerKay Rondonneau
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publicistKatja De Bock
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executive producerShirley Vercruysse
Education
Ages 15 to 18
Ethics and Religious Culture - Religious Diversity/Heritage
History - World War II
History and Citizenship Education - Civil Rights and Freedoms
Warnings: This film includes sensitive subject matter: reenactments of illness and fear in a concentration camp.
Prepare the students for the mature content of this film. What memories of Auschwitz did Martha share? Martha says, “You think your mother will always be there.” Discuss: What do you think she missed about her mother? Do a Think, Pair, Share about Martha’s interaction with Dr. Josef Mengele and its impact on the family. Martha seems content with her life despite having been a prisoner at Auschwitz. Write a reflection on her statement that “we had to forget what happened, otherwise we were dead too.”