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Cast: Jeroen Krabbé, Ellen ten Damme, Jack Polak, Ina Soep
1943: Holland is under total Nazi occupation. In Amsterdam, Jack, an unassuming accountant, first meets Ina at a birthday party - a 20-year-old beauty from a wealthy diamond manufacturing family who instantly steals his heart. But Jack's pursuit of love will be complicated; he is poor and married to Manja, a flirtatious and mercurial spouse. When the Jews are being deported, the husband, the wife and the lover find themselves at the same concentration camp; actually living in the same barracks. When Jack's wife objects to the "girlfriend" in spite of their unhappy marriage, Jack and Ina resort to writing secret love letters, which sustain them throughout the horrible circumstances of the war.
Some may not believe in fate but this terrific documentary is at least one example of it being alive and well. Jack and Ina met in Amsterdam as Hitler's rampage got under way. A few major obstacles were in the way for the two young lovers, one being Jack was already married, a failing marriage long before Ina came into the picture but failing none the less. Then there is the war which brings us to the fate part I was talking about. Jack and Ina were deeply in love but they knew the chances of even seeing each other again were very slim but miraculously they were transported to the same concentration camps not once but twice. With Jack's wife objecting to his new found love he then resorted to sending love letters back and forth to Ina, a method that not only kept their love alive but it gave them a reason to live even with the Nazi occupation going on and living under the harshest of living conditions. As the film opens Jack and Ina are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Jack is eager to tell the world his story, he could not be more proud. The film then shifts back in time to WWII, The story is told through stock footage and voice overs and it could not be any more captivating. Between telling the story of this love that could not be denied and the nightmare of war time I was totally taken in and taken on a journey that seemed to be a fairy tale but I do not think anyone could of thought anything up like this. Jack's mission since the war ended has been to keep the Holocaust in all of our minds. The Holocaust was a terrible time in this world's history and the film sends a strong reminder to us all on the horrors of war. It is also a sweet and inspiring look at the power of love and how we can over-come anything if we set our minds to it. One of the best documentaries I have ever seen, it not only tells a love story made in heaven but it keeps the memories alive of all those fallen victims of WWII and every other war for that matter. Released by Osiris Entertainment. ***** Out Of *****