Filmmaker Uses Animation to Immortalize Holocaust Survivors' Stories Through Objects
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Filmmaker Sharon Pais is producing a series of animated documentaries called "Pieces of the Heart," which uses personal objects to tell the stories of Holocaust survivors. The project aims to connect with younger generations through animation and crowdfunding is ongoing to complete production. Pais believes these objects are crucial anchors to memory and hopes the series will be shown globally and in schools to preserve the legacy of the survivors.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Filmmaker Sharon Pais is creating animated documentaries about Holocaust survivors' stories.
- The "Pieces of the Heart" project focuses on personal objects survivors cherished.
- Animation is used to connect with younger generations and convey emotional depth.
- A crowdfunding campaign is currently active to support the film's production.
- Pais hopes the series will be shown in Holocaust museums and educational systems globally.
Filmmaker Sharon Pais is creating a series of short, animated documentary films titled "Pieces of the Heart" that focus on the personal objects of Holocaust survivors. Pais, who previously worked as an eyewitness photographer for Yad Vashem, realized the urgency of preserving these stories for younger generations, especially as survivors are now in their 90s. She believes animation offers a powerful and sensitive visual language to connect with today's "screen generation" and convey the profound emotional weight of these experiences.
The project, which has received initial development support from the Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts, is currently in advanced production stages. A crowdfunding campaign is underway on the Giveback website to fund the animation, original soundtrack, and sound design.
Pais explains that the third and fourth generations of Holocaust descendants are often the catalysts for survivors to share their testimonies, as they are more adept at bridging the emotional gap. "Pieces of the Heart" aims to create an immediate human connection by focusing on objects that survivors held onto during the horrors of the Holocaust, such as a lock of hair, a music box, or a wedding photograph.
These objects, Pais notes, serve as tangible anchors to memory and coping mechanisms for loss. She laments the casual discarding of personal belongings of the deceased, emphasizing the deep emotional significance these items held for survivors. The series will feature individual stories, like that of Herman, who carried his son's lock of hair through Auschwitz, or Ruth, who reclaimed a family music box after surviving Bergen-Belsen.
Pais is also leveraging advanced artificial intelligence tools in her animation process, viewing them as a new artistic medium that can translate memory, pain, and hope for a contemporary audience while respecting the original source material. Her ultimate goal is for "Pieces of the Heart" to be exhibited in Holocaust museums worldwide and integrated into educational systems to ensure the memory of the Holocaust endures.