No Place on Earth

Janet Tobias's documentary is hardly the first to tell a tale of Jews hiding from Nazis during World War II, but its docu-drama combo approach is fresh and innovative. No Place on Earth begins with recollections from Chris Nicola, an American spelunker whose hobby takes him all over the world. During a 1993 expedition to Ukraine, Nicola discovered signs of recent human habitation deep in some of the local caves, and decided to find out who might have left them. Conducted over several years, his research eventually led him to two Jewish families who took refuge underground in 1942 under the leadership of their determined matriarch, remaining there for more than 500 days until the Soviet army liberated the area. Tobias recreates the experiences of the Stermer and Wexler clans with actors, while interpolating interview excerpts from four of the survivors, whose words are illustrated with archival material. A Holocaust film that is also a modern detective story full of twists, this exciting, suspenseful, and powerful documentary is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include additional scenes (26 min.), photo galleries, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a powerful doc.] (F. Swietek)