FILMCLUB INTRODUCES NEW TEACHING RESOURCE FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

A new resource to help teachers address the challenging subject of the Holocaust is now available from the education charity FILMCLUB.  The resource, developed to tie in with Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday, January 27th, includes a season of seven expertly selected films, each accompanied by a synopsis, discussion points and review starters to ensure the themes in the films can be fully explored. 

They include documentary and feature films and cover the genocide of Jews, Gypsies and other groups whom the Nazi’s deemed ‘undesirable’, to enable students to look at the many issues surrounding the Holocaust within the context of its cinematic interpretations.

The ‘FILMCLUB Guide to Holocaust Memorial Day’ is one in a new series of educational resources produced by the charity to facilitate the use of film to reinforce the curriculum - following research which shows that watching, discussing and reviewing films with their peers, under the guidance of a teacher, helps pupils to better understand complex issues and is an effective means of stimulating debate.  

Feedback from club leaders also shows that history is the subject in which FILMCLUB has the most impact.   Other topics covered include ‘Human Rights’, ‘Parliament and Democracy’, ‘French’ and ‘Anti-Bullying’ – with more scheduled linked to history, geography, English, languages and PSHE.  Welcomed by teachers as “something different and a new way to introduce the topic", the resources are available for members to download free via the website www.filmclub.org. 

The Films featured in the ‘FILMCLUB Guide To Holocaust Memorial Day’ are as follows:

• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (1997, 12) (age 11+) Bruno is kept in the dark by his Nazi commandant father about the neighbouring concentration camp, until he strikes up a friendship through the wire.

• Shoah (1985, 12) (age 14+) Nine-hour documentary of interviews with those who witnessed the Holocaust, including SS officers and concentration camp survivors.

• The Counterfeiters (2007, 15) (age 14+) Harrowing account of the Jewish concentration camp prisoners forced to counterfeit money for the Nazis, and the horrors of the inmates around them.

• Life is Beautiful (1997, PG) (age 11+) Tragic-comic story about a life-loving Italian Jew who is taken with his son to a Nazi concentration camp, and tries to shield him from the horrors.

• The Diary of Anne Frank (1959, U) (age 9+) Moving adaptation of Anne Frank's world-changing diary, as Anne and her family must hide from the Nazis in occupied Amsterdam

• Sophie’s Choice (1982, 15) (age 14+) A young writer in New York gets drawn into an intense friendship with fragile, secret-haunted Polish war survivor Sophie and her volatile lover.

• Schindler’s List (1993, 15)(age 14+) Powerful drama based on true events about a powerful German businessman who helped Jews being persecuted by the Nazis in World War II.

Actor Ralph Fiennes, who was recently interviewed for FILMCLUB, said that of all his films Schlinder’s List is the one he most hopes children will watch: “The Holocaust is something that everybody should be aware of.  I think it’s a great movie and that Steven Speilberg is a great director.  It’s a very serious film that has something for everyone.”

Launched in 2008 by educationalist Lindsay Mackie and filmmaker Beeban Kidron, FILMCLUB now operates in 7000 schools across the UK, where it provides free access to a curated catalogue of films from across the world and over 100 years of cinema.  Through weekly screenings, online reviewing, industry events and hands-on support the charity promotes learning in an informal setting while encouraging critical engagement from young people, with proven educational and social benefits.

Start a film club in your school! Joining FILMCLUB is now even easier through free online induction sessions with one of our expert School Coordinators throughout January, February and March 2012. To register and for further information visit www.filmclub.org, email schools@filmclub.org or call 0207 288 4520.

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