Film Screening and Discussion on September 15
Remember the Women Institute partnered with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City on September 15, 2024, to present the film 999: The Forgotten Girls. After the screening, there was a discussion with Heather Dune Macadam, director of the film, and Dr. Rochelle G. Saidel, founding executive director of the Remember the Women Institute.
This powerful new documentary film about young female victims of the Holocaust chronicles the untold story of 999 mostly teenage girls betrayed by their government. Told that by volunteering for “work” they would fulfill their patriotic duty, these innocent young women willingly bid farewell to their families in Slovakia. Under the cloak of deceit, they were transported on a one-way ticket to Auschwitz. They were the first official Jewish transport to the camp, arriving on March 26, 1942. The few who survived endured more than three years in the death camp. In the film, viewers meet the last living survivors and learn their stories. Best-selling author and historian Heather Dune Macadam has adapted her acclaimed book 999 into a powerful new documentary that sheds light on a wrenching true story. A film of deep research and vivid detail, 999: The Forgotten Girls ensures that these women will no longer be a historical footnote.
The discussion between the filmmaker and Dr. Saidel covered such topics as the difficulties and rewards of interviewing Holocaust survivors, the genesis and scope of the book and film projects, the often-forgotten history of Slovakia during the Holocaust, the significant role of women in that history (including Haviva Reick and Gisela Fleishman), self-image and sexual abuse of the young women, solidarity among the victims, the connection of Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp with this transport, and the excellent use of visuals and music for the film.
Dr. Rochelle G. Saidel (l.) and Heather Dune Macadam at the Museum of Jewish Heritage after the September 15 screening.