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‘NANA’- a Transgenerational Documentary on an Auschwitz Survivor

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Movie poster for the documentary ‘NANA’ directed by Serena Dykman.

About 70 people, mostly millenials, gathered in Soho Thursday, November 5, to watch an exclusive teaser for a documentary called NANA. The film is about Maryla Michalowski Dyamant, who survived Auschwitz in part because she unwillingly became Josef Mengele’s translator. She later became well-known in Europe as a public speaker and advocate for tolerance. NANA, which is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign, is in the early stages of post-production.

The 5 minute teaser of the film, as well as more information, can be found at the link: www.nanafilm.com

The documentary is directed by Serena Dykman, a Belgian New York-based filmmaker and Maryla’s granddaughter; and produced by Alice Michalowski, Maryla’s daughter and Serena’s mother.

NANA, which is described as a transgenerational documentary, is also Serena and Alice’s story. Serena’s investigation into Maryla’s life story serves as a narrative engine.

The mother and daughter retrace Maryla’s steps in Poland. In Belgium, where Maryla settled after the war, they interview people whose lives she impacted. But Serena isn’t satisfied with merely learning the whole story. Through her, the film asks how to revive Maryla’s fight against the rise of anti-Semitism and intolerance. The pair also question how this can be done in a world where survivors will soon no longer be here to tell their stories.

One journalist interviewed for the film said, “It is not about transmitting the message, but rather, we need to start the work again with each new generation, as they each live in a different social and political context.”

After the screening of the teaser, the attendees mingled, discussing the power of the subject matter. Everyone seemed to agree that this was a story that needed to be told. Serena and Alice also announced the start of a social media campaign called #NanaForTolerance to help raise awareness for the film, a campaign that aims to involve Millennials, asking them to take phone videos, asking “what does tolerance mean to you?”

More information about NANA can be found on its Kickstarter page, www.nanafilm.com.

Sam Johns

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