Folks
My grandfather, was born in Poland on April 11, 1930. He was 11 years old when he was separated from his family and sent to a Nazi death camp. Four years later, on April 24 1945, he was liberated from Flossenbürg after having lost his mother and his younger brother. At the age of 15 years old, not speaking a word of English, he immigrated to America.
This film was shot in early and late November 2010, just a year and a half ago, in the very early stages of his battle with liver cancer. I'd always felt that whenever I brought up his film, Folks, what I now know is the most important project I've worked on, he was unable to recognize his importance in the film, despite the fact that he starred in it. He always insisted that it was all my doing when all I did was bring the camera.
One of the last times I saw him he was bed-ridden, barely able to speak and had lost more than half his weight after losing over 40 pounds in the course of a month. He was thinner than he had been nearly 70 years prior during the Holocaust. I asked him how, after surviving one of the worst genocides in the history of mankind, he was able to live his life without any bitterness, spite or the feeling that he had been robbed. How was he able to become the gentle husband, father and grandfather he was. He diverted the question saying "Nah, I was not robbed." and asked quickly me if I was working on another a movie and made me promise that he be in the first row "when you win the Oscar for best producer". Just before I left he encouraged me to take all the leftover marzipan cookies and pizza which at this point he was unable to eat as he was now living on only milk and water. "Maybe Ricardo or the Turkish guy, Engin, would to eat a pizza. Go, take it, you're too skinny." I hadn't told him my roommates names in months, but that was the type of person he was. A great listener, a great storyteller, and the kindest, gentlest, most altruistic man I've ever met.Though he had never used the internet in his entire life, I resisted putting up this film because I know that any attention he would have received regarding the film would have embarrassed him.
They don't make em like they used to.
My grandfather, was born in Poland on April 11, 1930. He was 11 years old when he was separated from his family and sent to a Nazi death camp. Four years later, on April 24 1945, he was liberated from Flossenbürg after having lost his mother and his younger brother. At the age of 15 years old, not speaking a word of English, he immigrated to America. Folks, what I now know is the most important project I've worked on, he was unable to recognize his importance in the film, despite the fact that he starred in it.
