More recognition for Holocaust doco

Holocaust survivor Eddy Boas’s documentary, Reflections of Courage, has won Best Australian Documentary at the Melbourne Film Awards.

It’s the latest in a string of awards after it won Best Documentary in both Los Angeles and New York, while also being named Best Historical Film at the Cannes World Film Festival, giving it automatic entry into the main Cannes Film Festival next year.

The 50-minute documentary, which is based on Boas’s book I’m Not a Victim, I am a Survivor, tells the remarkable story of his family’s resilience during the Holocaust, their post-war struggles and their hopeful new beginnings in Australia. The film, directed by Australian-Iranian Janet Shay, produced by Karl Jenner and filmed over one day in a Sydney coffee shop, delves into the family’s pre-war life in Holland, survival in Nazi concentration camps and the small acts of kindness that sustained them.

Boas told The AJN that the recognition is an “unexpected honour” and he hopes his documentary will be used to educate younger generations.

“I think it is an honour to be chosen as the winner of Best Australian Documentary,” Boas told The AJN.