The Smuggler and Her Charges

Occupied France lives and breathes through this heavy Holocaust documentary by Michaël Prazan. Although a thoroughly documented subject, this film twists and turns subtly as a mystery thriller wrought with villains, trials, and unlikely heroes. Prazan takes us along a personal journey by recounting his father Bernard's escape from Nazi-controlled France as a child in the early 1940s. His story was possible only with the help of a young barmaid, Therese Leopold. A fresh life of comfort and wealth is ripped from Bernard as his parents are sent away on trains never to be seen again. She barely knew her young Jewish charges, yet Therese risked everything for their survival and suffered greatly. Bernard kept these details, among others, from his son, discovered only through investigation. In turn, he was able to live a harsh childhood in hiding throughout the war. For her efforts, Therese was turned in by French Gestapo agent Pierre Lussac - a man whose real cruelty shames fictional Machiavellian villains - and spent the war imprisoned in several concentration camps. Interviews with Bernard and Therese, well into her 90s at the time of filming, interspersed with dramatized scenes, bring their tragically inspiring tale to life. (Seattle International Film Festival)