Bashert: Reflections on the Holocaust

In Kristin Levine's Bashert (which means “fate,” or something predestined), four Holocaust survivors and one social worker travel from California to Washington, D.C. in 2003 for the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to attend a program honoring the survivors, and share life stories during interviews. While the stories of the four survivors--the handful of the 400 that social worker Lola Franknoi works with who she felt had the mental and physical stamina to make the trip--are compelling, the presentation is less so. The Ken Burns-esque gimmick of placing a key phrase on a black title screen before an interview segment (so that the viewer will realize an Important Point has been made) interrupts the narrative flow; the sound levels vary widely; and digital noise is apparent in the images (nothing prolonged, but frequently seen). A first choice might be the free video (plus $5.50 s&h) from the USHMM (www.ushmm.org) entitled Tribute to Holocaust Survivors: Reunion of a Special Family, which covers the same event. Collections specializing in Holocaust studies will want to add Bashert; for others, it's optional. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)