Defiant Requiem-Movie Review *** 08/13/2013
Posted by Films to consider in Based on true events, Big Apple Film Festival, Documentary, PBS, World War II.Tags: pbs documentary
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Defiant Requiem (American) 2012 ***
PBS Documentary
Written and directed by Doug Shultz
WINNER, Best Documentary, Big Apple Film Festival
The true story of Raphael Schächter, a Czech conductor who was sent to the Terezin concentration camp by the Nazis. When Schächter finds an unused piano, he secretly trains a chorus of his fellow prisoners. Eventually they are found out and are forced to perform for their captors. Schächter chooses the beautiful and difficult Verdi’s “Requiem.”
This amazing story haunted conductor Murry Sidlin, who decades later brought a choir and orchestra to Terezin to perform “Requiem” in the very place that Schäcter and his chorus did. The rendition is so beautiful, even a non-religious person would be touched, especially when contemplating the message Schäcter and his chorus delivered through the lyrics.
The film includes interviews with people who were at the camp, some of whom participated in the chorus.
Highly recommended.
85 min. Not rated. Content could be disturbing for children.
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