Director Konstantin FAM and the creators of the almanac “Witnesses” won the presidential grant for educational project “Witnesses: memory of the Holocaust.” This means that next year almost every Russian school child can learn about important topic on extracurricular lesson Konstantin FAM will prepare with the best Russian teachers and historians in this field. Such a lesson by a team of FAM done in conjunction with the USC Shoah Foundation (Steven Spielberg) to an international audience. In may, the film “Witnesses” on the online resources seen by about half a million people.
the Project involves creating teaching programs to conduct school classes on the Holocaust around the stories the film “Witness.”
Together with a team of like-minded Konstantin FAM for 8 years working on the almanac “Witnesses” consisting of three film short story: “Shoes”, “Brutus” and “Violin”, United by a common vision and dedicated to the memory of Holocaust victims. The almanac was filmed in Belarus, the Czech Republic, Poland, and France. The presentation took place at the 66th Cannes international film festival.
the First showing of the first novel, “Shoes” was held in Minsk eight years ago in the Russian drama theatre named after Maxim Gorky. Was still alive the mother of Constantine the singer, who came to the show.
– the movie “Shoes” Belarusian co-producer – Yuri Toy, – said Konstantin FAM. In Belarus has passed and most of the filming scenes at a defense plant, in the Brest Museum in the village of Dududki. Belarusians are very kind to the military theme. We needed an old steam locomotive and private way to shoot, bomb shelter, all this without question was made by the Belarusians.
For you it is important the participation of the Belarusians in the film?
Konstantin FAM: Very. My grandfather on my mother from Belarus, from the Orsha province. Relatives on his mother died in the war. It has always bothered me the lack of relatives from my mom. The film is dedicated to the memory of my family.
How did the idea of the film?
Konstantin FAM: I first came to Auschwitz when I was 33 years old. I cried for two hours at the window, where the mountain are thousands of pairs of shoes.
the Wedding journey of the heroes of the film takes place in Paris. How did pre-war Paris?
Konstantin FAM: of the Belarusian village Negoreloe went direct train to Paris.
who sewed the shoes?
Konstantin FAM: Their photos made Marina Shalima, master from Belarus. It’s an expensive hand job. For the filming we have produced two pairs of red shoes: in the shot when they run from the Germans, breaks a heel.
In the framework of the program teachers from 30 regions of Russia will take part in an educational conference which will be held in Moscow in January 2021 and will coincide with the International day of remembrance of the victimsin the Holocaust. At its end, each teacher will not only receive materials to conduct classes in schools for students, but also be able to conduct similar trainings for other teachers from your subject.
