Chapter 9: Expressing the Inexpressible through Film

Over the past half-century, film has allowed us to revisit vicariously the deeds, the sites, and those involved in the Holocaust. The medium provides access to not only the historical events of the Holocaust, but to the psychology and behavior of both victim and victimizer. With its graphic power, it stands as a cultural, sociopolitical witness to the values of the period which the films depict. Whereas films during the Third Reich were used to manipulate and propagandize, today the power of film is capable of moving, educating, and provoking deep thinking.¹With a proper integration of the film into the curriculum, it can be an effective educational tool.