New visions of hell – Auschwitz Untold: In Colour
A two-part series with never before seen colourised images from Auschwitz aims to remove the barrier separating contemporary audiences from the scale of the horror
Francine Wolfisz is the Features Editor for Jewish News.
The brutal reality of the Holocaust has been brought into sharp focus with a hard-hitting documentary featuring previously unseen footage of Auschwitz in colour.
Produced by James Corden’s company, Fulwell73, the groundbreaking two-part series, Auschwitz Untold: In Colour, is available to watch Monday on More4, and coincides with today’s 75th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi death camp.
The documentary also features the moving testimony of 16 survivors, now in their 80s and 90s, including a member of the Jewish underground who participated in armed resistance against the Nazis as her entire family was being murdered in a death camp, and the seldom-heard voice of a Romani
Holocaust survivor.
Development producer Sheldon Lazarus said: “The 16 survivors who feature in this series tell their extraordinary accounts of survival and resistance against all odds in their own voices, and accompanied by remarkable colourised footage from the archives, we hope this series will help remove a barrier that separates contemporary audiences from the reality of the Holocaust so that we never ever forget the atrocities of the past.
“With the 75th anniversary to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz in 2020, we felt it was really timely and important to bring to life the untold stories of the Holocaust in a new way.”
BAFTA winner David Shulman, who produced and directed the film, said:
“My ambition in making Auschwitz Untold was to have as much contemporary resonance as possible.
“The colourisation of black and white archive is one aspect of making this history more accessible to a younger audience and giving greater humanity to the people seen in the footage.
“Also, by including a Jewish resistance fighter from Vilna and a Roma Holocaust survivor from France, Auschwitz Untold: In Colour adds unique perspectives typically overlooked by most documentaries about
the Holocaust.”
Fulwell73 was set up in 2005 by lifelong friends Ben Winston, Leo Pearlman and brothers Ben and Gabe Turner, and has been behind a string of acclaimed documentaries, including I Am Bolt, Hitsville: The Making
of Motown, Sunderland ‘Till I Die and Class
of ’92.
• Auschwitz Untold: In Colour airs, Monday, 27 January, at 9pm on More4 and is available on catch-up
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
