We’re honored to present an online screening of Harbor from the Holocaust, a deeply moving and little-known chapter of World War II history, followed by a conversation with filmmaker Iris Samson.
Harbor from the Holocaust tells the remarkable story of nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe and found refuge in Shanghai, China, one of the few places in the world that remained open to Jews fleeing persecution. Over the course of its roughly one-hour runtime, the documentary weaves personal recollections, archival images, and cultural context to bring to life a community of “Shanghailanders” — men, women, and children who built lives under extraordinarily difficult circumstances and whose stories of survival and resilience have been overshadowed in Holocaust narratives. Rather than a tale defined solely by suffering, this film highlights the relationships between survivors and their adopted city, the complex social dynamics of life in wartime Shanghai, and the ways memory and identity endured far from home.
Iris Samson, co-producer of Harbor from the Holocaust and an award-winning documentary producer with a long history of work on historical and cultural subjects, will join us live via Zoom for a post-screening conversation. Iris has helped shape the film’s exploration of this extraordinary slice of history and will offer insight into the filmmaking process, the historical research behind the story, and the challenges and responsibilities of telling Holocaust-era narratives.
