The documentary-drama film “I SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST” talks about the life of Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the fascinating life story of Erna Estera Kaveson Debevec, a Sarajevo resident who survived Nazi persecution and concentration camps.
The focus of this film is on the life of Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina during World War II, when the Kaveson family ended up in a camp on the island of Rab. In this part of the film, Erna shares her traumatic experiences from childhood, the departure from Sarajevo, the fear she felt, the stay in the camp, the brutal murders of members of the Kaveson family and many other Bosnian Jews. Here, the film also discusses the end of the war and touches upon Erna's eventual return to liberated Sarajevo.
The film, through a documentary-drama form, conveys Erna's story about the strength of a people, their struggle, and the hope they carried within them.
From the moving testimony of Erna Estera Kaveson Debevec in the film “I SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST” we learn about the importance of the values and heritage of a people, coexistence with others, tolerance, and understanding.
The film carries a strong message about the Jews of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the life of an exceptional woman who, even in her 90s, continues to believe in a better tomorrow.
Through the drama form in the film, we return to significant moments in the life of Erna Estera Kaveson Debevec and document the places where she stayed, touching on the tragic events of World War II, survived traumas, the Holocaust, camps, life after the war.
The film is dedicated to Bosnian Jews who were killed in World War II and conveys the fact that before World War II, 14,710 Jews lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 12,500 lived in Sarajevo. During World War II, about 1,600 people survived, while of about 10,500 Jews caught in the war in Sarajevo, about 9,000 were arrested and transported to various German, NDH (Independent State of Croatia) or Italian camps, and only about 40 returned from the camps to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today it is estimated that fewer than 1,000 Jews live in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The documentary-drama film “I SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST” is scripted through Erna's gaze into the past, presenting not only the life of Bosnian Jews in the past, but also their life today in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the importance of what the future will bring.
Documentary and dramatic scenes of the film “I SURVIVED THE HOLOCAUST” was shot in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Italy.