“In the Shadow of Memory”, Bear’s Place, 1316 E. 3rd St., Bloomington, IN

A one-hour documentary film about on-going struggles of children and grandchildren to come to grips with Nazi horrors suffered by their elders. The film focuses on Jerri Zbiral, the daughter of a survivor of the Nazi destruction of the Catholic village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia. Even though Jerri was born after the war, her mother’s stories continue to have a profound effect on her life. The 50th anniversary of the Lidice massacre provides a back-drop for Jerri to speak with women who survived the ordeal, with German visitors to the memorial ceremony and with others.

“…a powerful teaching tool on the effects of Nazi terrorism on succeeding generations. By demonstrating how prejudice and bigotry does not by itself diminish with the passing of time, the tragic story of Lidice is a legacy for all people…The fact that the film deals with a non-Jewish incident, the impact of evil on children and subsequent generations is one which must be communicated to a mass audience.” – Karen Friedman, Director, ADL Braun Holocaust Institute

Survival & Memory: What Decent People do in Times of Crisis

Three films by award winning director Jacky Comforty:

Jacky Comforty has created documentary films and videos in the United States, Germany, Israel, and Bulgaria. He commands a range of genres, from documentaries to comedies. He is known for the effective, sensitive, interviewing techniques he has developed for oral histories and other projects requiring on-camera discussions that are genuine, meaningful, and in-depth.

Over the last 30 years, Jacky Comforty has specialized in two main subjects. His work has been groundbreaking in the fields of Inclusive Education and Holocaust Studies. He is particularly known for his work on the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust. He is curator and owner of a large photographic, film, and audio archives of historical and scholarly significance to Holocaust Studies and of smaller collections about early childhood education, peace education, and history.

Jacky Comforty is the creator/producer and distributor of the best-selling Inclusion Series that helped implement inclusive practices in U.S. school districts and is used in hundreds of universities around the country. He currently lives in Bloomington.