INTRODUCTION
In ‘Waves - A Holocaust Story’, I tell the story of my great grandparents Richard & Helene Freund, who were murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War.
The story is told to my two young children, 3rd generation descendants of a refugee, with its lessons never being more important to a wider audience, in this bewildering, modern world.
“The holocaust is something that happened because of hate, and you should always choose the opposite.” Waves intro delivers a personal message.
That it happened in the heart of Europe to regular people, with regular lives should still serve as a warning today. Especially today!
It is my hope, that in passing this story on, and getting it seen as widely as possible, that a ripple may turn into a wave.
WHY DO I NEED YOUR HELP?
This is a non-profit project.
Filming, editing, graphic design, research, publicity, film festival entrance fees, to name a few, are the principle costs.
Why don't I pay for it myself or fund it in another way?
The target here is only a fraction of the cost to make this film, BUT it will make a huge difference to the production.
I am also raising funds for Refugee Action. It is my sincere hope that funding will help a fabulous cause, while adding a sense of involvement, inclusion and of making a valuable contribution, which is greater than pounds and pence.
Refugee Action - "Everyone who has had to flee their home deserves a chance to live again."
This film is proudly supporting Refugee Action, in three ways
- There will be a closing credit, including Refugee Action logo and website.
- 10% of the first £3,000 raised will be donated to Refugee Action.
- Anything raised above £3,000 in the stretch target, will be paid to Refugee Action in full.
"Thank you. In times like these, with the Rwanda bill and growing hostility towards migrants and refugees, we need films like this and people like you more than ever. Together we can change the narrative around refugees and people seeking asylum, and give them the welcome that they deserve." Rebecca, Refugee Action
Why Crowdfunder?
The film commissioning & funding process is geared towards big corporations and production companies, and in most cases is prohibitive for individuals looking to tell a story, and have it heard.
Commercial sponsors want to angle the story towards their own messaging, products and services. And understandably so. But by helping to fund the film in this way, the story can be told as it should, without any dilution.
Any help through Crowdfunder will make a huge difference.
WHO AM I?
I am Ant. I own a small production company called Time and Tide Media Ltd, which pretty much covers the family income. Mostly I work for broadcasters, covering major sporting events, but I also have a small number of commercial clients too.
I have simple tastes and don't need much, other than a quiet beach, my family by my side, and perhaps a few waves to surf, if mother nature allows!
My passion is for filmmaking and storytelling, and on the odd occasion when I've been able to find the time and money to make a non-profit film for the pure love and passion of it, those have been the most rewarding, and meaningful.
Here's a previous film I made, which you might like to check out, about a simpler life called When The Sea Calls
WAVES SYNOPSIS
The story begins when an application for Austrian citizenship, uncovers some clues as to what happened to my great grandparents Richard & Helene for the very first time.
Using Nazi records from their campaign of human extermination known as the ‘final solution’, ‘Waves’ pieces together the deportation from a family home in Vienna, to Lodz ghetto where Richard perished.
Then, the discovery of a hand written Nazi ledger which reveals that Helene was murdered in Chelmno extermination camp.
Despite the topic, there is a juxtaposition of beauty and of hope.
Filmed in the stunning scenery of my home in North Devon, England, the mystery of how Richard & Helene’s daughter Gerty, escaped to the UK, is also examined.
Too old to travel on the ‘Kindertransport’, and the discovery of a curious document which casts doubt over when she arrived into the UK.
How did Gertrude Freund escape?
I hope to find out!
The fact that the story is able to be told at all, feels like an act of defiance, and proof that love will always overcome hate.
WHY MAKE THE FILM?
This is a story that I feel compelled to tell.
There is a profound sense that I must tell it to honour the memory of my great grandparents Richard & Helene. That their fate is now known, and that someone cared enough about them, to tell it.
- To give a voice to the voiceless.
For my own children, descended from a refugee, this is important, so that they understand what happened, and that they are able to take that information, and make the right life choices based on compassion and forgiveness.
For a wider audience, the lessons of the holocaust have never been more poignant. In times of increased division, mistrust, and of de-humanising rhetoric, it is important to learn the lessons of the past, to guard against it ever happening again.
We must try to change the narrative.
If hatred, division and power drove the holocaust, then love, unity and compassion must be the antidote.
CONTRIBUTORS & PERMISSIONS
We plan to travel to Vienna, with the 3 generations of descendants, to visit the state archive, known addresses in the city, and memorials.
Interviews are agreed with a leading historian at Kings College London, specialising in UK immigration during the second world war, and a senior archivist at The Wiener Holocaust library in London. Filming is also agreed with The Ambassador of Austria in London.
There are further requests ongoing, in the UK, Austria and Poland. By its documentary nature, contributors will be fluid.
I have received kind permission for archive use from The Arolsen archives & The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, plus images taken by Henryk Ross & Mendel Grossman in Lodz ghetto.
RELEASE & DISTRIBUTION
The feature will be showcased on the film festival circuit.
This will provide good exposure and offer the opportunity for pre-screening question & answer sessions.
It is also my ambition to showcase the film at museums, archives and embassy’s, all to raise awareness and keep memories alive.
Thereafter, the film will be pitched to more mainstream media.
There is also the possibility for promotions, events and screenings organised by funding partners.
WHAT DO YOU GET IN RETURN?
- See REWARDS section for ALL details BUT for any donation over £20, you will get a bespoke thank-you postcard designed by my daughter. Yes, this is as awesome as you think it is. Perhaps even more awesome! See below...
Any donation, gives you safe knowledge that you have helped spread an important message. Anything above and beyond my target, goes to Refugee Action.
WANT TO SEE MY PROGRESS & BEHIND THE SCENES?
Follow my Instagram. I'm not the best at social media, but I will aim to put interesting developments on there.
Many thanks for your interest.
Ant x