The Last Flight of Petr Ginz

Equally heartbreaking and transcendent, filmmakers Sandy Dickson and Churchill Roberts' The Last Flight of Petr Ginz draws on the beautiful notebooks of writings and drawings created by the titular Prague teenager who was murdered at the Auschwitz death camp in 1944, taking viewers into Petr's reflections and dreams with a judicious use of animation (that essentially brings some of his artwork to life). Born in 1928 to a Jewish father and Christian mother who converted, Petr and his sister Eva grew up in a home with a strict emphasis on learning. Attending a school for gifted students, Petr enjoyed science but also loved to write and draw. Inspired by Jules Verne, he created illustrated books of science fiction—stories that increasingly became metaphors for the German occupation of Europe. As he moved inexorably toward his final days at the concentration camp in Terezin and death at Auschwitz, Petr's writing reflected his anxiety and tragic parting from his parents. Yet, at Terezin, where the Nazis had gathered artists of all kinds to put on a false front for the Red Cross, Petr prolifically produced gorgeous images of Prague, beautiful flowers, and mystical night scenes. Even more impressive was his role in the boys' barracks editing the secret underground newspaper Vedem, which was full of news, poems, stories, and art by imprisoned young men who longed for a chance at living that they knew would never come. DVD extras include three bonus short films. A powerful profile, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)