Hot Docs: Inside Hana's Suitcase

It was the opening night for this year's hot docs film fest. The world premiere of Inside Hana's Suitcase and it blew me away and I do have high expectations for this year's films...
The film started a bit slow, but gets better in mid-way. I guess it can use a bit less dramatization and special effect to keep it more authentic. But it was still very good.

The story is about how one Japanese woman, Fumiko, where she wish to open up a Holocaust center so that the children in Japan can learn about its history and maybe possibly to stop the increase in child violence. Then a old suitcase was send from the Auschwitz museum, and the quest to discover the story of its owner Hana begins. It is amazing how the suitcase is not just a plain old suitcase when a name and story is attached to it. To find out more about the owner, Fumiko went to Auschwitz itself to talk with the other survivors, some were Hana's childhood friends, ones who lived in the same cabin as her, and find out the horrors the children and all the Jews had to go through. In which she was able to connect with Hana's brother, George, who lives in Toronto. It was a very touching moment when George was able to see his beloved sister's only belonging left, and telling the stories of their family.

This film really gave me confirmation of how important it is for people who have gone through great tragedy to be able to tell their stories. As George said, it is important that people other than himself, will be able to know about Hana, to let her stories live on. It is a healing for him in a way. Even though it is still painful and tears still swell up his eyes, he feels it is still very important for other children to learn from Hana so this history will not repeat itself.

Fumiko's passion and efforts to dig deep into finding more about Hana is really touched me as well, or else all these beautiful memories about the lovely children before being send to the concentration camp can't be bring out. And they are still going around the world everyday to make it be known.

After the screening, there were Q & A section... and we were actually about to meet al the characters in the film, George and Fumiko themselves. It is actually a first time I seen an actual Holocaust survivor in person. It is truly an honor to be in the same room with someone who had been through so much and still holding on, living his life to the fullest. He really touched me as he keep using his life as a witness, telling again and again the painful past, hoping that history won't repeat itself. So what is our responsibility after this? How are we to engage to our time, to the present, right now? I truly believe, as a person of media ( if I may call myself that for now), we do have burden, a accountability to let these witness be presented, these stories be told, these memories live on.

This film also reminds me of a film I saw in TIFF a while ago, And Along come tourist. Also a very touching film, high recommend!! It was also about the Holocaust, where one of the survivors who lives on site at one of the Auschwitz museum to give lectures about it, keeps repairing the suitcases as he still cherish each and every piece like his children. It was asking the question about whether the tourist who comes to the museum really cares about the past, or just come for the wows and amusements. Even the local politicians were just using the past sometimes as a tool to gain ground and favors. And how are we treating the "human history witness", do we know we have lots of treasure inside of them? And do we have any respect for other people's tragedy? Reminds me of what Beichuan might become as a tourist site.

Inside Hana's Suitcase will be showing again Sun May 3rd @ 1:30pm, don't miss it!!!

Extended reading
Q & A: Inside Hana's Suitcase
Hot Docs from Apr 30 to May 10