Figure 1.--"The Island on Bird Street" is a moving film about a boy who has to survive on his own in Warsaw ghetto after it has been cleared by the NAZIs. His father has told him to wait for his return and the boy learns to be quite resourceful in doing so, living in bombed out apartment building.

The Island on Bird Street is a moving film about a boy who has to survive on his own in Warsaw ghetto after it has been cleared by the NAZIs. His father has told him to wait for his return and the boy learns to be quite resourceful in doing so, living in bombed out apartment building and surviving (mostly) on his own, along with his pet mouse. It is based on a true story. Jordan Kiziuk, 11, is outstanding in the role, demonstrating a fine ability to convey a wide range of emotions. His costuming consists of a heavy shirt, long baggy pants, long stockings and a heavy coat shirt sweater and scaft and a black floppy cap. The costuming looked very authentic throughout the film on kids and adults. The movie is interesting and touching, if a bit unbelievable at times. It won a few film festival awards and young Jordan, who is English, won an American Daytime Emmy award.

Filmology

This is a European production, althouh I do not know in what country it was made, perhaps the Netherlands. A HBC reader reports that it was a DK-DE-UK movie. I think that means that it was joint Dutch, German, English production. The film is based on a true story. It is based on the diary of Uri Orlev. A reader reports, "The film and book are supposed to partially autobiographical although I read that the author in reality was finally sent to a camp was liberated by the Americans while being transported form one camp to another. He never did see his father again." The film won a few film festival awards and young Jordan, who is English, won an American Daytime Emmy award. The film was also awarded: THE SILVER BEAR, BERLIN 1997.

Cast

Jordan Kiziuk, 11, is outstanding in the role, demonstrating a fine ability to convey a wide range of emotions. Jordan Kizuik is from England. A HBC reader writes, "It amazes me how English kids can give such deep emotional and natural performances without the mugging overacting style that many American kids seem to be coached in. This was a very natural performance and Jordan did a great job carrying the film. My only gripes were that the end was kind of umbelievable, given history, and the boy was made to do a gratuitious nude shower scenne that could have been easily filmed above the waist. Why do they make young kids have to do scenes like that anyway?" That being said, IOBS is still a wonderful film and very authentic looking." The rest of the cast includes: Jack Warden, Patrick Bergin, Simon Gregor, Michael Byrne, James Bolam, Patrick Bergin, Lee Ross, and Stefan Sauk.

Location

The film is set in Cologne and Warsaw (Wroclaw), Poland. I haven't seen the film, but this suggests that he was a German boy deported to the Warsaw Getto as a first step in the gassing of millions of Jews in the Polish death camps like Aschwitz. A Polish reader writes, "Although it was shot in Cologne and Wroclaw (not Warsaw), the entire story takes place in Warsaw . Th boy is aPolish Jew. Th Warsaw Getto was populated mostly by Warsaw Jews. The NAZIs didn't deport German Jews to the Warsaw Getto, but when the death camps were operational in 1942, directlt to the camps."

Plot

The Island on Bird Street is a moving film about a boy who has to survive on his own in Warsaw ghetto after it has been cleared by the NAZIs. His father is sent to a concentration camp. He has told the boy to wait for his return and the boy learns to be quite resourceful in doing so, living in bombed out apartment building and surviving (mostly) on his own, along with his pet mouse. He doesn't have much, but he does have books. He draws his inspiration from his favorite novel, "Robinson Crusoe while hiding and evading the NAZIs.

Figure 2.--The boy here wears a "Schirmmütze" cap--a German style popular during a aftyer World War II.

Music

A HBC reader was especially empressed by the very touching music by Zbigniew Preisner (famous for his soundtrack to the movies of "Kieslowski - La Double Vie de Veronique" and "Three Colours") and perfect shoots.

Costuming

The boy's costuming consists of a heavy shirt, long baggy pants, long stockings and a heavy coat shirt sweater and scaft and a black floppy cap. The cap is called a "Schirmmütze" cap--a German style popular during a aftyer World War II. The costuming looked very authentic throughout the film on kids and adults.

Assessment

The movie is interesting and touching, if a bit unbelievable at times.

Dutch Review

Het verhaal is gebaseerd op Orlevs eigen ervaringen als opgroeiend kind in de Warsaw ghetto gedurende de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Als op een dag de volledige buurt wordt ontruimd, wordt de familie van Alex (Orlevs alter-ego in de film) opgepakt en meegevoerd. De jongen kan echter ontsnappen en gaat binnen de ommuurde stad op zoek naar een veilige schuilplaats. Daar wacht hij op zijn vader die hem heeft beloofd naar hem te zullen terugkeren. Ondertussen blijft de terreur echter voortduren. De nazi's komen iedere dag langs om onschuldige burgers te executeren. De overlevenden daarentegen vechten op leven en dood om het weinige voedsel. Uiteindelijk zijn het enkele buitenstaanders, leden van de niet-Joodse bevolking, die Alex met hulp zullen bijstaan.

The Island On Bird Street doet wat dat betreft sterk aan Het Dagboek Van Anne Frank denken. Maar de meeste verwijzingen vinden we nog in Robinson Crusoë, dat de kleine Alex steeds bij zich heeft en waaruit hij inspiratie put om zich doorheen de oorlog te worstelen. Maar de gelijkenissen gaan verder. De Joodse ghetto is voor Alex een soort onbewoond eiland. Als enige gezelschap heeft hij de muis Snow - het welbedoelde equivalent van de geiten. Hij wacht op redding (door zijn vader), maar die laat zo lang op zich wachten dat de jonge knaap alle hoop dreigt te verliezen. De nazi's kunnen dienst doen als de kannibalistische indringers en de man die hij uit de handen van deze schoften redt, is natuurlijk Vrijdag.

Dramaturgisch gezien hoeft The Island On Bird Street zeker niet onder te doen voor deze verhalen. De prent is bij momenten spannend en soms zelfs grappig (de manier waarop de kleine Alex de nazi's te lijf gaat doet wel eens aan de Home Alone-films denken). Maar de regie van Soren Kragh-Jacobsen is nogal statisch en dus streeft de film zijn ware doel - een aangrijpend potret schetsen van hoe een Joods kind de oorlog overleefd - voorbij. Laten we hopen dat met de Golf- en Kosovocrisissen in het achterhoofd de film aan impact zal winnen.

Reader Comments

A polish reader writes, "I saw this film, it is deeply moving. I was crying while I was watching it."

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Created: July 27, 2002
Last updated: July 29, 2003