NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW: ‘FOR THE LIVING’
FOR THE LIVING brings together the living to confront a common evil. It focuses on the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of Marcel Zielinski, a child who was once imprisoned at the Plaszow concentration camp. The film serves as an essential reminder for future generations to rise above indifference and address the unresolved scars of a history that, while in the past, remains deeply intertwined with our present.
The emotional narrative interweaves the experiences of two generations—exploring the horrors of genocide, its lasting impact, and the way the new generation grapples with the lessons of the past. Decades later, in a powerful gesture of solidarity and remembrance, 250 cyclists followed the liberation route once taken by the now 84-year-old Marcel, bridging time and history in a profound act of collective memory.
As Holocaust awareness diminishes and antisemitism continues to grow, FOR THE LIVING brings much-needed attention to the fading recognition of this dark chapter in history. It is more critical than ever to reaffirm our commitment to remembering the past. The film calls on us to recognize empathy as a fundamental human bond, urging us to confront not just the history of genocide, but the echoes of hatred that still reverberate today.
