I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I do lately since this week had International Holocaust Remembrance Day, so that's the reason for all these notes. If you enjoy them, then great. If you don't that's okay too. Anyway, last weekend my friends went home to see their families and I stayed at school to help a friend work on a Holocaust themed legal paper. Since I had the room to myself for two nights I decided to watch Schindler's List since I can only really do that when I'm truly alone but I'll get to that in a second.
I watched the film over two nights because it's such a long one. The first night I was okay, but then again I had saved the real part that gets me to break down for the next night so there's that. The second night I had spent the day helping my friend with her paper for the chunk of the day before watching it. If you've seen the movie you know the end and if you haven't you need to watch it. So after I finished the movie I called my friend Amanda who was home from college. She and I talked about her mom forgetting to upload some pictures for a minute and she started laughing and so did I. And then out of the blue I started sobbing, like full on sobbing.
Schindler's List is the only movie I have ever sobbed over. Sure in eighth grade Twilight got a few tears out of me as did the last two Harry Potter movies, but never had a movie hit me like Schindler's List and I doubt none ever will again. the thing about it is, you have the reaction the first time you finish the movie and then are left to process it and that reaction is why most people only watch it once in heir lifetime and I don't blame them. If you watch it a second time you think you'll be prepared.
Wrong.
I've seen the full movie about five times and have a worse reaction each time. It's not because I don't know what's coming, but because I'm fully aware of it. And it's one of those movies that doesn't leave you after you turn it off. It becomes a part of you.
So what does watching Schindler's List have to do with Holocaust studies other than the obvious?
To me, I think it reinforces why I do what I'm doing. It reminds me why I need to help Holocaust education reach people in the present times. It reminds me that one person can make a difference. And it also reminds me that when you work in this area like I do, you break down. It may not be often, but you do because the reality of the history consumes you whe you physically see it. I think that only a selected few people are chosen to work in Holocaust studies because of that and because we keep the memory alive we can piece ourselves back together after we break down and continue on with our work.
I'm very pleased and passionate about what I do.
I watched the film over two nights because it's such a long one. The first night I was okay, but then again I had saved the real part that gets me to break down for the next night so there's that. The second night I had spent the day helping my friend with her paper for the chunk of the day before watching it. If you've seen the movie you know the end and if you haven't you need to watch it. So after I finished the movie I called my friend Amanda who was home from college. She and I talked about her mom forgetting to upload some pictures for a minute and she started laughing and so did I. And then out of the blue I started sobbing, like full on sobbing.
Schindler's List is the only movie I have ever sobbed over. Sure in eighth grade Twilight got a few tears out of me as did the last two Harry Potter movies, but never had a movie hit me like Schindler's List and I doubt none ever will again. the thing about it is, you have the reaction the first time you finish the movie and then are left to process it and that reaction is why most people only watch it once in heir lifetime and I don't blame them. If you watch it a second time you think you'll be prepared.
Wrong.
I've seen the full movie about five times and have a worse reaction each time. It's not because I don't know what's coming, but because I'm fully aware of it. And it's one of those movies that doesn't leave you after you turn it off. It becomes a part of you.
So what does watching Schindler's List have to do with Holocaust studies other than the obvious?
To me, I think it reinforces why I do what I'm doing. It reminds me why I need to help Holocaust education reach people in the present times. It reminds me that one person can make a difference. And it also reminds me that when you work in this area like I do, you break down. It may not be often, but you do because the reality of the history consumes you whe you physically see it. I think that only a selected few people are chosen to work in Holocaust studies because of that and because we keep the memory alive we can piece ourselves back together after we break down and continue on with our work.
I'm very pleased and passionate about what I do.
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