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Marion’s Triumph – Surviving History’s Nightmare

A 58-minute DVD color documentary produced by John Chua Productions,
narrated by Debra Messing, star of the WILL AND GRACE TV show

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During the nightmare known as the Holocaust, the Nazis murdered six million Jews, including one and one half million children. Five million non-Jews were also murdered, among them Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian activists, and anyone else deemed politically or racially undesirable. This story is about one survivor.

In 1938, the Blumenthals began their journey to the U.S. as refugees from Nazi Germany. Just before their scheduled departure from Rotterdam, the Germans invaded Holland, bombed their ship, and they were trapped. What began was six- and-a-half years of horror in Hitler’s camps, and an incredible story of near escapes, dashed hopes and tragedy. Finally, they made it to America in 1948 using the tickets paid for ten years earlier.

At the time of her liberation, Marion Blumenthal weighed 35 pounds. Today she travels the world to bear witness as the last generation of Holocaust survivors. Her memoir, FOUR PERFECT PEBBLES, is in its 12th printing and is taught in schools world-wide. Narrated from her point of view, MARION’S TRIUMPH: SURVIVING HISTORY’S NIGHTMARE is a unique Holocaust documentary that speaks to a young generation. Despite the horrors depicted, MARION’S TRIUMPH differs from other Holocaust stories. It presents a life-affirming, inspirational narrative of survival, reconciliation and the limits of endurance, and renews one’s faith in humanity.

Well illustrated with historical footage, photos and animated flashbacks, it also features surviving members of the Blumenthal family. Some graphic depiction of atrocities. Suitable for ages 10 and up.

REVIEWS:

Rated Highly Recommended by Educational Media Reviews Online
Audience Level: Middle School through Adult - Karen A. Plummer, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Gr 7 Up - This devastating documentary tells the true stony of Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal (who co-wrote the best-seller Four Perfect Pebbles). Expertly mixing archival footage, photographs, and talking head interviews, director John Chua does a commendable job of capturing Blumenthal’s amazing life story. At age 68, she currently travels throughout the United States telling young students about the horrors of the concentration camps. The high schoolers shown sit with rapt attention as she describes the atrocities she witnessed and experienced. Blumenthal was a child in Germany in 1938 when she and her family were sent to a camp. She endured six and a half years of mental and physical torture, Blumenthal discusses this terrifying ordeal, and the video contains graphic footage of the dead and the starving. An imaginative child, she invented a game which involved four perfect pebbles everyday. If she found these four pebbles, this meant that she and her imprisoned father, mother, and brother would survive one more day. The Blumenthals did survive after much hardship, but her father died of typhus six weeks after being saved by the Soviets. Marion’s 94-year-old mother appears in present day interviews, sharp and full of life (but a little hard to under stand—subtitles would have been helpful). Marion’s brother is also filmed. Marion talks about how she immigrated to America in 1948, fell in love with the Statue of Liberty, excelled in school, and is now determined to educate others about the Holocaust. There are touching home movies, one from 1948 of the Blumenthal children enjoying a Purim pageant, and another from 1995 showing Blumenthal returning to the now peaceful places where she was once a prisoner. Although one or two segment seem a bit rushed and the sound is muddy in spots, the technical aspects are fine. Actress Debra Messing’s periodic narration is gentle and tender. This powerful look at one survivor’s strength, dignity, and spirit will be a valuable tool to teach Holocaust history.
—Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL

ALA BOOKLISt, Editor's Choice
Gr. 6–12. Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s quiet determination and confident speaking manner make an impact. Though difficult, Lazan shares the horrors of her lost youth with audiences. Her memories of incomprehensible pain and torture are expressed with a composure born from the rigorous self-control and restraint she mastered during her childhood when she survived more than six years under the Nazi stranglehold. Excerpts from her speeches intermix with interviews with the warm and engaging Lazan and other family members who together survived the Holocaust. Family and archival photos personalize her story, while documentary footage testifies to the grisly realities of Nazi death camps and transports. Incredible home movies taken after World War II and footage of Marion’s recent return to Germany reveal the ongoing emotional healing. Despite the inclusion of some seemingly unnecessary animation, this fluidly-edited, compelling program digests and broadcasts a searing survivor story. - Ellen Mandel

Marion’s Triumph. DVD color - 58 mm. Seventh Art Releasing 2003. $29.99 plus shipping for home use.

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Excerpts from Teachers, Educators and Others–

"Dear Marion,

Please forgive me in being so slow in letting you know how much it meant to us to have you visit MPH! We are winding down now, with yesterday being the last day for Middle School. This is our Commencement Weekend. Things have been hectic, but you should know when given the choice of a last-day activity the kids unanimously chose to watch "Marion's Triumph." Even though they had read your book and heard you speak, they still could not wait to hear your story one more time. They loved seeing the pictures of
your family, Hoya, the old movies of Purim at the Children's Home, Nathanial, and even your children and grandchildren! Seeing the footage of the bodies being bulldozed into the mass graves particularly hit them. With pictures, your experience was brought even more to life. As part of their exam my sixth graders had to respond in an essay to a political cartoon dealing with the Holocaust and the importance of passing on the story...Several of them quoted you! Your visit will be an experience they--we all--will long remember." - Laura Jordan, Manlius Pebble Hill School, DeWitt, New York

"(Marion's Triumph) .....tells the story of Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal through archival footage (some graphic), photos, and interviews. Blumenthal discusses her terrifying ordeal, her immigration to the U.S. in 1948, and her determination to educate others about the Holocaust. Actress Debra Messing's narration is gentle and tender." - Deborah A. Wooten, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theory & Practice in Teacher Education, University of Tennessee

"I ‘discovered’ you on PBS the other night. I was under the impression that I was watching a story about a local woman, our "local" meaning Phoenix, AZ. After watching just a few minutes I knew I had to record it for my husband. I watched, spellbound for 30 minutes, before I could bring myself to stop. I was conflicted because on one hand I didn't want to stop and on the other, I felt it was something I could no longer watch alone. You had lived the life that just as easily could have been mine but for the fact that my grandparents and/or great-grandparents left Hungary and Romania before the Holocaust. You and I are exactly 2 years apart in age. Tonight my husband watched the program with me; both of us in tears and incredulous at your courage and attitude. We did have a Holocaust survivor in our home some years ago, who gave me his coat to hang in the closet, along with the loaded gun he always carried in a brown paper sack, just in case he would "run into" a Nazi...

In closing I might mention that the home we lived in then, and until just 4 years ago, was in Bloomington, Illinois!! Imagine our surprise when we discovered at the end of your story, that you had been raised in Peoria!!! We are from Cleveland originally, but lived in Bloomington for 29 years. I am not certain you will read this, but I just had to write." - Nancy Bernstein, Phoenix, AZ

“I just spent an hour watching your documentary. It is fabulous. It was like having you in my dining room. .…I can hardly wait until my students see this film. Personalizing history makes it more meaningful for them.” – Pam Blevins, teacher, Brink Junior High School, Oklahoma City, OK

“What an inspiring video! …..my class this year seems very young and their attention span isn’t the longest for an 11 year old, however, they sat there in wonderment for the entire video! …..It is a must if you are teaching your book (Four Perfect Pebbles)! My kids want to know if you will come to Hawaii for them to meet you and hear you speak.” – Mary Ann Chester, teacher, Keaau, Hawaii

“…..so when I heard of your film (Marion’s Triumph), I immediately asked for a copy – reviewed it yesterday and think it’s great!.... want you to know that I ordered 30 copies of your videos to distribute to my Holocaust Teacher's institute--at the University of Miami for the week of June 23rd-28th. I will also show excerpts of it to the institute I will be teaching in North Carolina---and hope that next school year we can arrange for you to come to Miami.”
– Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Education Specialist/Holocaust Studies, Miami Dade County Public Schools, Florida

“…It’s wonderful! I found it (Marion’s Triumph) very moving. I will be adding it to our high school’s library so it can contribute to the understanding and knowledge of our students. There are already two teachers, 8th and 10th grades, who want to use it for their classes along with (your memoir) Four Perfect Pebbles.” – Joanne Shawhan, Library Media Specialist, Cobleskill/Richmondville High School, Richmondville, New York

“The very best thing about Marion’s Triumph is its poignant concentration on Marion’s beautiful and serene face and persona. She is the strongest element and needs no adornment. However, I must say that John Chua’s respectful and truthful production enhances Marion’s presentation beautifully – without in any way detracting or commercializing her story. The title itself is also a subtle knockout jab at Hitler’s “Triumph of the Will” propaganda film.” – Sally Vaci, Birmingham, Alabama

“I purchased your video for our Agency library. It arrived last Friday, so I took it home for the weekend, as my mother was visiting. My mom, my daughter, my mother-in-law and I watched it together on Saturday evening. It is awesome! The video goes into more depth and detail in some cases than the book, which made it fascinating. It was exciting to see your mother and brother on film, after hearing about them in your talks. I will promote the use of this video in all of our 122 schools that learn about the Holocaust, and I plan to purchase a personal copy as well.” - Becky Mather, Quality Learning Consultant- Media, Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, Davenport, Iowa

“I bought 2 copies of Marion’s Triumph and I think it is awesome. We will be watching it on Monday.” - Lisbeth DeCotiis, Teacher, Harding Township School, New Vernon, New Jersey

"My classes finished Four Perfect Pebbles yesterday and I am so glad that I showed your film today. ......They were so touched by this film and I saw some tears shed. The ending of your film is so very touching and it is hard for me to watch it every period without becoming emotional." - Jeri Rufatto, Teacher, Guion Creek Middle School, Indianapolis, IN

"I just finished watching Marion's Triumph, and I am feeling completely overwhelmed. Your story is so moving- and so full of hope! To see your brother speak about his experience brought me to tears, because I remember you telling us that he would not talk about it. ...As long as I am a teacher, your story will be shared and learned from year after year." - Leslie Lloyd, Teacher, Brownstone, IL

"I just received your video, and just finished watching it. It is truly an incredible story of strength and character." - Sue Katz, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Peoria, Illinois

"I was rendered speechless last evening after watching "Marion's Triumph." I have never had the privilege of seeing you speak in person, but the story of you and your family, if I can borrow from your title, is truly a Triumph of the Human Spirit. It shows the world how hope and love can persevere." - Robin Krassner Beckman, Livingston, NJ

“I saw your film last night. I was so moved, I had trouble getting up after seeing it. It really shows the power of a well-made film. I would highly recommend your film to anyone who wanted to know what happened in the Holocaust, and especially to understand how it is possible, though rare, for someone to overcome, and even triumph.” - Huey Freeman, Staff Writer for the Herald & Review, Monticello, Illinois

“I was so moved by your story on Louisiana PBS last night. The strength you and your family and many others showed was beyond words. I wonder if I could have been so strong and so happy today. I look forward to reading your book and will remember you till my death.” - Linda Wilcox

Amazon Customer Review
"Incredible survival, Holocaust survivors, Marion, her brother, Albert, and their mother, Ruth, present with a beautiful resilience to the horrible life they managed to live to survive. One can picture/feel the pain/fear and miserable existence of the Jewish people as they were manipulated by the Nazis as if they were garbage that could be disposed of at a whim. I thought this was an excellent testimony which gives hope of victory over evil to a needy world today." - Page Mackisoc, Newton, NJ

Teacher's Guide - written by John Chua, Ph D

INTRODUCTION

During the nightmare known as the Holocaust, the Nazis murdered 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children. Five million non-Jews were also murdered, among them Romas and Sintis (Gypsies), homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian activists, and anyone else deemed politically or racially undesirable. This story is about one survivor.

In 1938, Marion Blumenthal and her family began their journey to the United States as refugees from Nazi Germany. Just before the Blumenthal’s scheduled departure from Rotterdam, the Germans invaded Holland and bombed their ship. The family was trapped, and Marion, her brother and parents were forced into Hitler’s camps. They experienced six-and-a-half years of horror, including near escapes, dashed hopes and tragedy.

Finally, they were liberated and made it to America in 1948 using the tickets paid for 10 years earlier.
At the time of her liberation, Marion Blumenthal weighed 35 pounds. Today she travels the world to bear witness as the last generation of Holocaust survivors. Her memoir, “Four Perfect Pebbles,” has been published in English, German, Dutch and Japanese, and is available in hardback from Greenwillow and in paperback from Avon Books (and in schools, from Scholastic)..

EXCERPTS FROM EDUCATIONAL REVIEWS

Booklist Review October 2003

Grades 6–12. Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s quiet determination and confident speaking manner make an impact. Though difficult, Lazan shares the horrors of her lost youth with audiences. Her memories of incomprehensible pain and torture are expressed with a composure born from the rigorous self-control and restraint she mastered during her childhood when she survived more than six years under the Nazi stranglehold.

School Library Journal November 2003

Grades 7 and up. This devastating documentary tells the true story of Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal (who co-wrote the best-seller Four Perfect Pebbles). Expertly mixing archival footage, photographs, and talking head interviews, director John Chua does a commendable job of capturing Blumenthal’s amazing life story. At age 68, she currently travels throughout the United States telling young students about the horrors of the concentration camps. The high schoolers shown sit with rapt attention as she describes the atrocities she
witnessed and experienced.

The American Library Association’s Booklist awarded MARION’S TRIUMPH the Editor’s Choice award in 2004.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

1. To allow students to become aware of the prevalence and consequences of intolerance, racism,
prejudice and victimization.

2. To gain a better understanding of the Holocaust within the context of World War II and the history of
the 20th century.

3. To discuss how children and adults cope differently with stress, tragedy and disappointment.

4. To consider critically how the actions of individuals can make an enormous difference or impact on
the experience of others.

5. To discuss the meaning of individual and collective responsibility.

6. To convey the importance of hope and a positive attitude.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To note how Marion describes life in pre-war Germany.

2. To describe the rise of Nazism in a small German town.

3. To note how Marion describes the actions and decisions of individual Germans.

4. To understand the actions Marion’s parents took in face of increasing prejudice and violence.

5. To discuss Marion’s key messages to young people today.

6. To discuss America’s role as a destination, and in particular as a place of refuge for the Blumenthals.

MEANING STUDY

Below are statements, phrases, and sentences from the documentary that have a particular meaning or have
particular significance within the video. Discuss these excerpts. The time reference at the end of each statement
indicates its approximate location within the program – times will vary depending on whether you have taped it
from a broadcast.

(It would be useful to provide students the background information about the Holocaust and modern German
history to provide a context for the significance of the statements below. Consult the Web sites listed below for
more information.)

1. “And then of course, little by little, we felt the difference. When the Nuremberg laws came about,
restrictions were put upon our people, on the Jewish people. It was the beginning of a massive pogrom
against the Jewish people, a massive mental and physical assault.” (Marion, 7 min.)

2. “Kristallnacht came about. November 9th, 1938 – that’s when the Nazis destroyed synagogues, Jewish
stores; burned books, Jewish books. And that was a massive assault against the Jewish people.”
(Marion, 9 min.)

3. “Over 100,000 Jews were interned at Westerbork before being shipped off to more notorious camps.
Among them was Anne Frank, who was held there after her arrest, then sent to Auschwitz, and finally
to Bergen-Belsen, where she died of typhus. Marion, her brother Albert, and their parents, Walter and
Ruth, spent four long years in Westerbork as prisoners.” (Voiceover, 13 min.)

4. “The time came for the lists, uh, to be called out, for the exchange. And they started with the alphabet
with A, B, and so on. The A’s were read; the B’s were read – no Blumenthals – the C’s, and so on, no
Blumenthals.” (Marion, 16 min.)

5. “I saw this old German in a uniform. And I kind of walked with him on the inside of the camp, and he
would walk on the other side with his rifle. And we’d chat. And he said, ‘I got something for you.’ And
he pulled out an apple, and he gave it to me.” (Albert, 21 min.)

6. “And what if I would never find the 3rd or 4th pebble? I was afraid that one or two of my family
members would not pull through. But somehow this game always gave me something to hold onto
– some distant hope. And I always found my 4 pebbles.” (Marion, 24 min.)

7. “The Blumenthals were put on a train and shipped out once again. Six days later, the Allies liberated
Bergen-Belsen, and the S.S. guards gave it up the camp without a fight. The British army shot this
documentary footage upon entering the camp. Dead bodies were everywhere, so numerous that mass
graves were quickly created.“ (Voiceover, 28 min.)

8. “It was the Russian army that liberated our train. And they led us to a farm village in eastern Germany.
This farm village was called Tröbitz. It was just a bit south of Berlin, near Dresden, in eastern
Germany. And many of the inhabitants there had fled. And not all of them; some of them actually
helped us. And of course, they contracted typhus also, and many of them died.” (Marion, 32 min.)

9. “An amateurish film that was taken in 1946 – it was March of 1946 – the holiday of Purim, in
particular. It was actually only 8-9 months after our liberation. It shows children playing, children
horsing around, as the expression goes, and almost living a carefree kind of a life.” (Marion, 37 min.)

10. “None of us is spared hardship. And it’s not so much what happens to us, it’s how we deal with the
situation that makes the difference. And if we have that inner strength, and that fortitude to look
towards the future, and to have the determination and perseverance to go on, one will succeed. Above
all, never give up hope. Never give up hope because physically we were finished. It was only with
hope and determination and positive attitude and imagination that we got away.” (Marion, 53 min.)

COMPREHENSION STUDY

Answer these questions in your own words. Your answers will vary because there is more than one correct answer.

Questions 1- 5 Literal Level

1. When did the Blumenthals begin their voyage to America? Under what circumstances and how did
they begin their journey?

2. How and why did the Blumenthals first arrive in Westerbork?

3. How did Albert spend his time in the camps? What activities did he engage in?

4. Under what circumstances were the Blumenthals liberated?

5. Describe how Walter Blumenthal died.

Questions 6 - 8 Interpretive Level

6. How did Marion’s parents cope with the horror of the camps?

7. Compare and contrast the present day outlook of Albert and Marion with regard to their experience
during the war.

8. Contrast the actions of different Germans described in the video.

Questions 9 - 10 Critical Level

9. How does Marion see the role of individuals and personal responsibility in society?

10. How does Marion’s message apply to your daily life?

11. Describe the link between prejudicial attitudes and racist violence or hate crime. Some people have
described the line of progression from everyday discrimination to genocide as a “slippery slope.”

How or why might this be true? Describe how a community can become increasingly intolerant and the ultimate consequences of such intolerance. Can you see examples of discrimination in your community that could theoretically lead to violence and tragedy?

Questions 12 - 13 Creative Level

12. Write a skit dramatizing the difficulties a member of a minority group might experience in mainstream culture. (You can set this in any historical and cultural period you chose.) Describe some of the experiences of this person. What kind of societal expectations would this minority member have to face? How would this person cope with these expectations and experiences? What kinds of institutional discriminations might this person experience?

13. Contrast this documentary with other literary works dealing with young people facing different forms of institutionalized racism. (For example, you could compare Marion’s experiences with those described in Anne Frank’s Dairy of a Young Girl, Mark Mathabane’s Kaffir Boy and Richard Wright’s Native Son.) How do young people respond to these pressures and injustice? What are the obligations and responsibilities of those who are witness to injustice?

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT GROUP ACTIVITIES

1. Draw a timeline from 1933 to 1945 that depicts the major incidents in the lives of the Blumenthals. Although the narration in the documentary does not always indicate a year, use additional reference materials to research when certain of these major events would have occurred.

2. Invite a Holocaust survivor to come speak to your class. Record on video or audiotape his or her life story.

3. Trace on a world map the different locations and countries mentioned in the documentary. (Note that some places were mentioned but not visited.)

4. What happens when people stereotype each other and themselves? Have each student write a paragraph describing his or her identity that may include gender, ethnicity and peer group affiliation, as well as unique aspects of each person unknown to others in the class. Have each person read aloud his or her self-description. How do we create our identities? How are we different from each other? How should differences be celebrated? Do we have preconceived notions of others that do not match up with the self-description?

5. As a class discussion, compare and contrast parallel experiences of discrimination and racism from different cultures and historical periods.

6. How might the experiences of a Holocaust survivor be similar or different?

7. List and discuss the moral choices “bystanders” can make in confronting examples of discrimination and intolerance we might see every day.

8. Compose a definition of courage. How do we measure and evaluate courage? How is MARION’S TRIUMPH a story about courage?

ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENTS

1. Make a list of adjectives that describe Marion. Make another list that describes Ruth.

2. List examples of family loyalty, courage, cruelty, betrayal, and hope in discussed or depicted in MARION’S TRIUMPH.

3. Compose definitions of selfishness, love, sacrifice, and bravery.

WEB SITES

www.adl.org The Anti-Defamation League.

www.museumoftolerance.org The Museum of Tolerance / Simon Wiesenthal Center.

www.ushmm.org United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

www.vhf.org Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation.

www.yad-vashem.org.il Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority.

Production of Marion's Triumph

About the Filmmaker
A self-taught filmmaker, John Chua has previously completed one other documentary; WHATEVER! IT'S A WONDERFUL SORORITY LIFE was independently produced and acquired by NAATA for national broadcast on PBS in 1999. An ironic look at sorority life, the documentary traces the journey of a black student attempting to join an exclusive white sorority system at the University of Illinois. The film was well received and was an unsolicited choice by the Museum of TV and Radio (LA and NY) for inclusion in their permanent collection of important PBS films and is available for viewing by any visitor.

John Chua received his Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Illinois in 2004 and just completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Moscow, Russia.

About the Narrator
Debra Messing plays interior decorator Grace Adler on the NBC hit show WILL AND GRACE. Messing, who won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2003, appeared opposite Woody Allen and Tea Leoni, in Allen's comedy HOLLWOOD ENDING as well as the thriller THE MOTH MAN PROPHECIES, alongside Richard Gere. Messing's other feature-film credits include Allen's CELEBRITY (having been handpicked for the part by the director) and Alfonso Arau's romantic love story A WALK IN THE CLOUDS in which she played the wife of Keanu Reeves. She also appeared opposite Tom Arnold and Tim Curry in McHALE'S NAVY.

Born in Brooklyn, Messing and her older brother were raised in a quiet community outside Providence, Rhode Island. She received her liberal arts education at Brandeis University where she majored in theater arts. She spent half of her junior year studying in London's prestigious B.E.S.G.L. program, which featured dramatic arts teachers recruited from various distinguished institutions such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Cambridge University and Oxford University. Upon graduating summa cum laude from Brandeis, she was accepted into New York University's elite Graduate Acting Program and received her master of fine arts degree.

About the Editor
Tchavdar Gueorguiev is an experienced editor and post supervisor who has worked on numerous international productions. Some of his feature credits include THE BLUE DOOR for Visionbox Media and THE WOODEN GUN for Zero Pictures, as well as PAUSE OF THE CLOCK for MGS Entertainment.

His documentary credits cover a wide spectrum of social and historical work, from drug prevention programs to environmental issues, from Holocaust stories to helping the elderly and poverty stricken.

He recently finished a documentary about the work of the Eurasia Foundation with grassroots reformers throughout the former Soviet Union. The foundation was established a decade ago by the Bush and Clinton administrations to further democracy and economic growth in these newly independent states.