The film is structured as a series of vignettes that reveal facets of Henny Simon's life and explore her memories of the Holocaust, her experiences in Hannover during and after the war, and her return visits in recent years. It also documents her life in America. Some vignettes show what Hannover has done to remember and atone. Hannover's history connects to Henny's life and the future of Holocaust understanding and memory. It connects to Henny and Benny’s work in schools throughout Connecticut. The film explores how individuals and societies remember history and come to terms with painful past experiences.  Henny’s story is a path to dealing with current issues. We intend for the film to raise awareness of the consequences of hatred and encourage viewers to recognize and act when hatred, bigotry, and racism arise.

 

Todd Gipstein, the film's writer, narrator, picture and music researcher, videographer, designer and editor, has spent his career, most of it with National Geographic, creating evocative and emotional documentary films. He likes to get away from long sequences of "talking heads" to layered interpretations of the emotions and thoughts being presented. He likes to mix scripted narration with interviews, a style that taps into the unique strengths of both. His goal was to make this film a "waking dream" — at times mysterious, at times disturbing, at times inspiring.

 

Todd set out to create a documentary that is unique in both content and style. That is different from the many fine films about the Holocaust. Todd used minimal well-known Holocaust imagery. Instead, he used more symbolic and evocative imagery whenever possible. We used cinematic techniques and narrative structuring to create a film that is intellectually and emotionally interactive, a film that is poetic rather than didactic.  Wherever possible, he used authentic archival images. Where none existed that were relevant to the story, he used honest recreations to bring events and characters to life.

 

Content was drawn from interviews of Henny and Ben Cooper, along with interviews with friends, students to whom she spoke, with teachers, historians and museum curators in Connecticut, Germany, and elsewhere. 

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