Hollywood liberals later branded as Red traitors were among the groups that raised money to buy entry for refugees, often on a per-person basis, to countries like the Dominican Republic. The anti-Semitic denial of visas was so bad that entire shiploads of refugees were returned to Germany and probable grim fates. These efforts were frequently blocked by countries refusing to accept refugees, of which the "neutral" United States was one of the worst offenders. From 1937 onward various rescue programs were formed to get endangered people out of these countries, usually by buying their freedom in one way or another. Wealthy people and those with international contacts found ways to depart, if they were willing to abandon their property. The individual situations varied greatly. The years just prior to the outbreak of WW2 in Europe were a social catastrophe, with Jews and others affected by the Nazi menace using whatever means possible to leave Germany and occupied countries. We hear from lucky survivors, not bereaved relatives or researchers unearthing evidence of a heinous crime. But this story actually has a few good endings. It is of course produced to help new generations understand a dark chapter in history that is fast slipping from the memories of survivors that lived through it. Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport is a Holocaust documentary with a difference. Written and Directed by Mark Jonathan Harris Street Date Aug/ available through the Warner Archive Collection / 14.95 Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the KindertransportĢ000 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 117 min.
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