The Invisibles

      During World War II, 7000 German Jews remained in Berlin and went into hiding to escape capture by the Nazis and their Gestapo agents. By the end of the war, only 1,500 had survived. This docudrama, written and directed by Clause Rafle, focuses on the personal stories of four Jewish teenagers . It interweaves personal interviews, dramatic reenactment, archival footage, and narration to bring their story to life. It is in German with English sub-titles.

      Interviews with Cioma Schonhaus, Hanni Levy, Ruth Arndt-Gumpel and Eugen Friede were conducted in 2009 and hearing them tell their stories and watching the reenactments is incredibly emotional, even if you are not of the Jewish faith. After conducting the interviews, Mr. Rafle set about to create the film around their experiences. While they did not know each other at the time, the nightmare they endured was a common bond shared by every Jewish person in hiding at the time. The film is also a tribute to the many non-Jewish German citizens who opposed the war and helped hide these people, risking their own lives to do so.

                While danger lurks everywhere and there are many tense moments and close calls, the fact that the four protagonists survived, creates a certain lack of suspense. However, this is not a work of fiction and the story is not to entertain but rather to educate and understand that this should never happen again...and yet, unfortunately, it does continue to this day in many parts of the world.