The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand Events at FCCT

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand

Events at FCCT

 

7pm, Thursday October 30, 2014

"Sila Lidskosti - Nicholas Winton" (The Power of Good - Nicholas Winton) - 64 mins, Directed by Matej Minac
Screening Courtesy: Embassy of the Czech Republic

 

 

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"Sila Lidskosti - Nicholas Winton" (The Power of Good - Nicholas Winton)

 

64 mins, Directed by Matej Minac
Screening Courtesy: Embassy of the Czech Republic

 

 

 

7pm, Thursday October 30, 2014

FREE ENTRY for Members & Non-Members; Snacks will be served

 

A rare, not-to-be-missed documentary!

Here is the gripping, much-talked-about film that first brought ' Britain's Schindler' to world-view - the man who saved 669 Jewish kids from Nazi camps in Prague, and sent them to Britain.

Nicholas Winton was a young stockbroker, who visited Czechoslovakia in 1938, saw camps full of Jewish refugees, and " had an intuition" of dangers ahead. He used his hotel as an office, and immediately started working on sending Jewish kids abroad.

He found foster-homes for them in Britain, and organized eight 'Kindertransport' trains to take the children to safety, although most would never see their parents again. The last train carrying 250 children was ready to leave Prague, when Hitler invaded Poland, and the train was stopped. No-one saw any of those children again.
What makes the story more amazing is that Winton told no-one about it, not even his wife Grete. 50 years later, in 1988, she came across a scrap-book in the attic full of pictures of the rescued children, with a list of their names. The story was published for the first time, and Winton was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, and honoured by the US House of Representatives.
Meanwhile Jewish-Slovakian Director Matej Minac (who made this docu-film), used him as a fictional character in his 1999 film 'All my Loved Ones', not knowing that the real Nicholas Winton was still alive! That was when he did intensive research on the 'rescued children' through archives around the world.
This incredible film shows it all. Minac uses archival material, film-clips, photographs, powerful music, to capture the trauma of the Jewish families - the tension, and the tears of parting.

Then he moves forward and meets the 'rescued kids' today, who have their own children and grand-children, but who have never forgotten their own, miraculous childhood escapes. Some are famous individuals, like the narrator, Joe Schlesinger of CBS television, writer Vira Gissing, who first wrote about Winton, politician Alfred Dubs, and publisher Tom Schreder.

A reserved and soft-spoken individual, it is extraordinary to meet Sir Nicholas Winton himself, at the age of 99 years when the film is made, with his wife and family. Today he is 105 years old, and still alive!

In a memorable scene Sir Nicholas Winton meets his 'rescued kids', now ageing adults, for the first time on the BBC programme 'That's Life ' in 1988, and is reduced to tears. To quote the Director of the film " It is incredible that all these people live today, due to the heroic deeds of one man !"
The inspirational documentary is now being used in schools and colleges around the world.
The film has won awards, and has inspired many individuals to help in children's causes. Director Minac made another film 'Nicky's Family' in 2011, recounting the many people who were inspired by Sir Nicholas Winton, to take up charity projects in countries as far removed as Cambodia and Africa.
We are proud to present this rare and outstanding docu-film, that recounts the amazing achievements of a living individual, who is a beacon of inspiration to the world around him. At a time of political turmoil and chaos around the globe, we want to celebrate the 'power of good' , of one individual, that made a difference to an entire generation of people.

Don't miss this rare and outstanding docu-film !

 

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Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand

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