Tish’a B’Av Film Screening
“Nicky’s Family” (2011)
Sunday, July 22, 5:15 PM, 96 minutes

“Nicky’s Family” is an emotional retelling of the remarkable efforts of one man to rescue 669 Czech children from death during WWII. Sir Nicholas Winton was a young English businessman at the time, but when chance brought him to Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, he put aside his own pursuits and began organizing the many children of Jewish refugees to escape Nazi clutches. Once he had appointed himself the authority for such matters, Winton went to work arranging transport and placing these children in English homes.

Winton did not betray his own emotions, dutifully pursuing the cause of compassion with reserve, as Jewish parents mournfully sent their beloved children to safety in his hands. While this emotional journey of sacrifice is moving in its own right, the greater value of director Matej Minac’s work is the exploration of where the survivors are now. Winton's legacy is one of self-sacrifice and humility that touches far more lives than anyone could ever have imagined.