The Righteous Franciszka Halamaj at the 8th Warsaw Jewish Film Festival
The film directed by Barbara Bird, Judy Maltz and Richie Herman – an American-Israeli-Ukrainian co-production – presents the moving story of Franciszka Halamaj, honored by the Yad Vashem Institute with the title “Righteous Among the Nations” for saving Jews during the Second World War.
The film, screened on November 28th at 1:45 pm in the Warsaw Kinoteka, is based on excerpts from the diary of one of the rescued, Mosze Maltz.
During the war Franciszka Halamaj and her adult daughter Helena had a small farm near Sokal, in the vicinity of Lviv. They knew many local Jewish families, among them the Krams, Maltzs and Kindlers.
Franciszka i Helena Halamaj rescued 16 people. The cattle merchant Mosze Maltz and the doctor Dawid Kindler with their families hid at their place after they had escaped from the ghetto in November 1942. The Krams hid under the flooring in the Halamaj’s kitchen.
Apart from Chaja Dewora Maltz, who died from tuberculosis in the hiding place, all of them survived the war. Franciszka Halamaj and her daughter Helena Liniewska nee Halamaj were honored with the title “Righteous Among the Nations” on September 16th, 1984.
The Warsaw Jewish Film Festival was created in 2003. During this year’s edition the organizers will present the film “Ajami” (November 23rd, 9:00 pm) – the Israeli Oscar candidate, presenting the title district of Tel Aviv.
There will also be a screening of the film “Joanna” directed by Feliks Falk, a dramatic story of a women hiding a little Jewish girl during the Second World War.
Among other films at this year’s Festival are: „Marcel Reich Ranicki: the Author of Himself”, presenting the story of the outstanding literary scholar, „A Serious Man” – the newest film by the Coen Brothers – „Amos Oz: the Nature of Dreams”, as well as a few films of Paul Mazursky, winner of the David Camera, whose films were awarded and nominated for an Oscar or other international awards numerous times.
