by Dov Kornits
“It started with a newspaper article regarding the finding of this extraordinary footage taken during the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in the dying days of WW2 and stored away from public scrutiny for forty years,” Frank Shields tells us how a Sydney based filmmaker ends up making a Holocaust documentary. “Plus, the fact that Alfred Hitchcock had a hand in putting together a film made from it!
“I flew to London and viewed the footage at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) and was sure there were no images shot by a camera in the 20th century that could compare with the powerful images of Belsen. So, I licensed the footage and went home to make a film, knowing there had to be great story attached to it. But several US networks saw the same footage and in no time, I was blown out of the water, so to speak. It would be many years later when I met Alan Moore [whose iconic “Blind Man in Belsen” is part of the Australian War Memorial collection; and is the main image for this article] who opened up what I came to believe was one of the great stories in modern history. It was at that time I decided to make my present film.”
Are you a bit of a war nut yourself, is that why made this film?
“Not really, of course I became interested in the Boer War which was the background of my first film, The Breaker and have been trying to make a series about Australia’s involvement in it ever since. Though I have 30 interviews with our first soldiers, most shot by Phil Noyce, no one seemed interested in that part of our history which included a number of interesting women. Likewise, my present film Remember Belsen, just happens to have WW2 as its background.”

Is another reason to make this film is the ‘lest we forget’ aspect, since we are living in a time when Holocaust denialism is spreading? And Belsen isn’t as well known as some of the other camps.
“In some respect that’s true, the same as I want to make our early history more relevant to younger audiences with my proposed Boer War series, now that all veterans have gone, only my interviews are left to represent them. The same for Remember Belsen which contains eyewitnesses who tell us of their experiences there. Their testimony will be timeless because of this film. As Holocaust denial is becoming more prevalent of late, modern, new or future audiences need to be made aware that the scope of horror that was the Holocaust, is near impossible to grasp or comprehend. But this insignificant transit camp called Belsen which became overcrowded with prisoners from numerous death camps, all starving and many suffering from Typhus, was in fact ‘a window into the Holocaust’. Images that were captured there was undeniable proof that the Holocaust was real. What made Belsen different was it was the last camp to be liberated, with the population intact together with guards and Commandant in place.”

The film is a clear argument for the state of Israel, which is another contentious issue. Where do you sit on this issue?
“The film shows that the Jewish survivors of Belsen (and of many other camps) were not prepared to go back to their own countries because most were now under Communist rule. There is no denying the allies knew about the camps and what was happening there but what could have been done to somehow eliminate or even try to intervene will always be another contentious issue.
“I think a two-state solution should be addressed but am also aware that Israel would be annihilated by Arab forces if ever they were ever in a position to do so. An ambiguous answer I agree.”

Is the archive footage shown in the film expensive/difficult to access?
“Extremely expensive but the IWM has been accommodating in licensing their film footage, photographs and artwork for an acceptable cost for use in film festivals and screening to cultural groups and educational facilities. To license for all media could only come about if networks were willing to pay the extra cost. In the current climate, Australian networks would be unlikely to do this, though international networks may come to the party if the film creates enough positive press.”

Was it difficult finding and capturing survivors in Australia?
“Actually, once Alan Moore was aboard, I found through the local Jewish network enough Belsen survivors to tell the story I wanted to tell. Even at my preview screening at the Sydney Jewish Museum several weeks ago, I found another two Belsen survivors and no doubt I’ll find others when screened in Melbourne.”
What are the plans for the film’s release beyond the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival?
“To organise screenings for Australian and International groups, museums and universities. Also, to lobby networks to consider investing in a four part series using Remember Belsen as a template or pilot.
“In the making of Remember Belsen, I found the story of Belsen needed way more time to tell it properly, injecting more stories and characters of interest and artists, plus fleshing out the interesting characters I already have. One example, Canadian armed forces were also liberators of Belsen, but they don’t get barely a mention in the film except for a noted war artist. Plus, the survivors I did interview had more to tell, I just ran out of time.
“Belsen was a huge event and needs to be explored further. Finally, one thing is for certain, in three years’ time, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belsen, this film will be shown around the world on that commemorative day, in cinemas, museums, halls. universities or even television. Then in a short time when all survivors have gone, the film will become a timeless document.”

What else are you working on?
“Besides lobbying for a Belsen series, my next film will be Eco-warrior: The Bob Endean Story, a cautionary tale of how we lost the Great Barrier Reef; a project I have been developing for about thirty years while observing the rapid deterioration of the greatest living organism on this planet – due to a bad, even corrupt decision by a Chief State Official to ignore the findings and warnings of a world class marine toxicologist which was funded by that official’s own Government. That decision sparked a thirty year media war where the main loser was the Reef itself.”
Remember Belsen is streaming at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.