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Jewish Cultures of the World
The Phantom Holocaust: Soviet Cinema and Jewish Catastrophe
Even people familiar with cinema believe there is no such thing as a Soviet Holocaust film. The Phantom Holocaust tells a different story. The Soviets were actually among the first to portray these events on screens. In 1938, several films exposed Nazi anti-Semitism, and a 1945 movie depicted the mass execution of Jews in Babi Yar. Other significant pictures followed in the 1960s. But the more directly filmmakers engaged with the Holocaust, the more likely their work was to be banned by state censors. Some films were never made while others came out in such limited release that the Holocaust remained a phantom on Soviet screens.
Focusing on work by both celebrated and unknown Soviet directors and screenwriters, Olga Gershenson has written the first book about all Soviet narrative films dealing with the Holocaust from 1938 to 1991. In addition to studying the completed films, Gershenson analyzes the projects that were banned at various stages of production.
The book draws on archival research and in-depth interviews to tell the sometimes tragic and sometimes triumphant stories of filmmakers who found authentic ways to represent the Holocaust in the face of official silencing. By uncovering little known works, Gershenson makes a significant contribution to the international Holocaust filmography.
Focusing on work by both celebrated and unknown Soviet directors and screenwriters, Olga Gershenson has written the first book about all Soviet narrative films dealing with the Holocaust from 1938 to 1991. In addition to studying the completed films, Gershenson analyzes the projects that were banned at various stages of production.
The book draws on archival research and in-depth interviews to tell the sometimes tragic and sometimes triumphant stories of filmmakers who found authentic ways to represent the Holocaust in the face of official silencing. By uncovering little known works, Gershenson makes a significant contribution to the international Holocaust filmography.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
26 people want to read
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February 4, 2015
This was a very interesting book that looked at the difficulties of Soviet and Russian cinema in dealing with the Holocaust on Soviet territory.
The author's argument was that Soviet cinema tended to "externalize" the Holocaust by focusing on the Holocaust in non-Soviet territories and thus avoid the unique aspects of the Holocaust in Soviet territory. She identified two films "The Unvanquished" and "Eastern Corridor" that dealt with the massacres of Jews on Soviet territory, and showed how these films were then marginalized in distribution.
Most of the book, however, shows how censorship snuffed out potential films dealing with the Holocaust or the Jewish wartime experience. Here is where the book felt like a mystery thriller. The author often could track down and talk to the writers and would-be directors of these "phantom" (unmade) films.
"The Phantom Holocaust" is a very informative book that reveals previously undiscussed aspects of the Soviet film industry and the Soviet Jewish experience. Highly recommended.
The author's argument was that Soviet cinema tended to "externalize" the Holocaust by focusing on the Holocaust in non-Soviet territories and thus avoid the unique aspects of the Holocaust in Soviet territory. She identified two films "The Unvanquished" and "Eastern Corridor" that dealt with the massacres of Jews on Soviet territory, and showed how these films were then marginalized in distribution.
Most of the book, however, shows how censorship snuffed out potential films dealing with the Holocaust or the Jewish wartime experience. Here is where the book felt like a mystery thriller. The author often could track down and talk to the writers and would-be directors of these "phantom" (unmade) films.
"The Phantom Holocaust" is a very informative book that reveals previously undiscussed aspects of the Soviet film industry and the Soviet Jewish experience. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review