Paragraph 175

From the Academy Award-winning directors of The Life and Times of Harvey Milk comes this profoundly moving and wrenching documentary that, like Into the Arms of Strangers, reveals a lesser-known aspect of the Holocaust. Between 1933 and 1945, approximately 100,000 gay men were arrested under "Paragraph 175" of the German Penal Code, which decreed homosexuality punishable by imprisonment or the loss of civil rights. Of these, between 10,000 to 15,000 were sent to concentration camps, and only some 4,000 survived. Eight are known to be alive, and six of them share their harrowing memories in this Sundance Film Festival winner, narrated by Rupert Everett. Though not without moments of humor, the prevailing feelings aroused by Paragraph 175 are outrage and sorrow, both over what these men endured (viewers won't soon forget recollections of "the singing forest," which echoed with the cries of the tortured victims), and the fact that it has taken so long for their devastating stories to be acknowledged. An essential addition to Holocaust film collections, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by directors/producers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, a theatrical trailer, and two additional interviews that run nearly 12 minutes in length total. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an outstanding documentary.] (K. Lee Benson)