Fritz Bauer Institut · Cinematography of the Holocaust
ID |
FBW002614 Documentary |
Country / Year |
USA, 1996 |
Original Title |
Exodus 47 |
Directed by |
Elizabeth Rodgers, Robby Henson |
Produced by |
Cicada Films, New York, NY |
Staff |
Production manager: Barry Lever, Julie Goldman; Music: Ilan Rechtmann; Narration: Morley Safer |
Mentioned |
David Ben Gurion (Jewish Agency); Moses Speert (Exodus Funder) |
Statement(s) by |
Sam Schulman (Exodus 1947, Crew Member); Harry S. Truman (President, USA); Eli Bergman; David Holly; Eleonore Speert (Granddaughter of Moses Speert, Exodus Funder); Ike Aronowitz (Captain, Exodus 1947); Irene Burenstein Parkinson (Exodus 1947, Refugee); Ronald Bundel (Former Royal Navy Officer); Eli Kalm (Exodus 1947, Crew Member); Yossi Harel (Haganah Commander, Exodus 1947); Ruth Gruber |
Length |
60' |
Format |
16mm/farbe |
Abstract |
A documentary on the Summer 1947 formation, sailing, and aftermath of the ship, Exodus 1947, which attempted to run the British blockade of Palestine. the aging Baltimore steamer, crewed by former Jewish-American GIs, took on a cargo of 4,500 Holocaust survivors in France and headed for Palestine. After a bloody battle on the high seas with the British, the "illegal" immigrants were sent back to DP camps in the British Zone of Germany. The newsreel and print media seized upon the Exodus 1947 as a symbol of the Jewish struggle for statehood. This aborted voyage galvanized international support for the creation of Israel. Interviews with scholars and eye-witness testimonies are incorporated with newsreel footage, photographs and information from formerly classified documents to examine the tactical evolution of Ben Gurion's Haganah and the clandestine American role in supplying dollars and manpower for Aliyah Bet, although such involvement was contrary to US Government policy. |
Subject Terms |
1940-1949; Aliya Bet; British Army; British Mandatory Regime; Exodus 47 (Ship); Refugee ships; Great Britain; Hagana; Haifa; Survivors of the Holocaust; Jewish displaced persons; Palestine; Ships; Cyprus |
Holdings |
- National Center for Jewish Film, Waltham, MA: 60'; 16mm |
Bibliography |
- Thomas, Kevin: , in: The Los Angeles Times, ??.11. 1996 |
Credits |
- 1. Exodus 1947 |