Sunday, 26 June 2011
Monday, 8 March 2010
Introduction
Hungary, 1944: In just 3 months 437,000 Jews were rounded up by the by the merciless Arrow Cross, Hungary's local agents of Nazism. The great majority would be murdered at Auschwitz. But before deportation Thomas Beck escaped. For a year he was a teenage fugitive on the wrong side of the lines.
He was a witness to the madness that had overcome his countrymen and the carnage that had overcome his country. Now 80, in August this year he'll retrace his incredible wartime odyssey for the first time.
This promo was recorded in late 2007 in Sydney, where Thomas now lives. (More scenes of Thomas can be viewed by clicking the 'Video' tab at right.)After his escape, Thomas survived on his wits and courage. He spent time alone amongst the Nazi soldiers; mixed with peasants and farmer, hid side by side with aristocracy and ordinary Hungarians and Slovakians alike. He witnessed scenes of courage, horror, madness and heroism from a series of unlikely vantage points.
An eyewitness testimony from the fascist side of the lines, his account of war and fascism as seen from within is complex and offers no trite judgments or explanations for Europe's darkest chapter.
SAM LAWLOR & LINDSAY POLLOCK, Directors
Lindsay (L) and Sam just after NY screening of 'We'll Never Meet Childhood Again'"Lawlor and Pollock are filmmakers with great talent and hearts..."
- Bruni Burres, Sundance Institute / Former Director Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
We've been making films independently since 2000. Last year, our first feature-length documentary was selected for the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.
Made for a budget of just £7000, "We'll Never Meet Childhood Again" told the story of HIV+ teenagers living with foster families in post-Communist Bucharest. It continues to screen internationally to acclaim.
[For more responses, click the 'Reviews' tab at right - and there's loads about the film, and paediatric HIV in Romania, on lawlor-pollock.com.]
The next UK public screening of 'We'll Never Meet Childhood Again' is scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 2008 at the 3rd Eye Cinema. We'll update with details in September when we return from shooting in Eastern Europe.
HOT CHIP
The Return Of Thomas Beck will feature an original soundtrack by Mercury-nominated musicians Felix Martin & Al Doyle (HOT CHIP/EMI) and Felix will be sound recording and mixing the documentary.
We would like to thank Hot Chip for their great generosity. Their significant investment has made this film possible.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
"He came out with soldiers"
In preparation for the film, Thomas researches locations from his childhood odyssey on the internet. He soon comes across the image of a square in Szekesfehervar, where many dramatic - and tragic - events unfolded.Below you can read further moving and dramatic excerpts from Thomas's story.
For more video of him, click the 'Video' tab.
For more video of him, click the 'Video' tab.
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Story Excerpts
“Bombings, and breakdowns of communications, and breakdowns of trains. Soldiers moving left and right, coming and going, and prisoners of war – it was a mess by that time. …It was closing in. It was closing in.”
In our new documentary, 80-year-old Thomas Beck will retrace for the first time his Second-World-War odyssey as a child-fugitive on the Hungarian / Slovakian border. As we travel, Thomas will unfold his gripping story of courage and survival, episode by episode.
“…At around four o’clock in the morning, I woke up. I woke up, because it was too quiet. There was no gunfire, there was no artillery, no bombing, no nothing. It was dead quiet. And it’s amazing that if you’re used, all the time, to some noise – and that noise ceases - it‘s the same as if an alarm clock has gone off.
So I woke up, walked to the window, and looked out the window, down into the main square.
Snow.
And in the snow – right in front of the building, right under my window – is a German tank. I said - fuck… this is – this is no good. I ran from one room to the other, trying to wake up everybody in the flat – but it’s empty. There was not a soul. They packed up – that evening was planned by the General. Because he knew – that night, they’re going to withdraw. And he left me there.
And all I’ve got is a Russian uniform…”
In the late 1930s, as the fearsome grip of fascism took hold over Europe, anti-Semitism stirred in the Hungarian towns and villages around the estate of Thomas Beck’s wealthy, socialist & secular family.
Thomas was the baby – “spoiled rotten”, in his own words - a sweet boy who doted on his young single mother. He spent his days between the home, the fields and the mill, blissfully unaware that his idyllic existence was being played out in the eye of a growing storm.
“…I had no problem at all, until the first day, when I went to school. And the school – I was the only Jew. In Ersekujvar – in the village. And they beat – the kids beat the shit out of me, the first day. When I got to school. And the reason they gave, was that I’d killed Jesus Christ. And I should be punished for that! [Chuckles.] Second, I’m a Jew, and therefore I should go back to Palestine. So, first day, I went home crying, and I said to my grandfather – “who is Jesus Christ? Did I kill him?”
“…And I started to go to high school and that was about the same time when they started to have to wear the Yellow Stars and Yellow armbands. And they segregated us – I remember in sports sessions, if a soccer team had to be made up, it was the Jews against the Christians. And of course, we were maybe 20 Jews in the whole school against 200 Christians - they always fielded a better team than we could! That wasn’t so bad. So, okay, we got beaten 32 – nil or something. But when the boxing sessions came – always a small Jew, with big boxing gloves, against a big non-Jew, and they beat the shit out of us, all the time. We learned some good strategies – that as soon as we got into the boxing ring, they took the first punch – duck it, lie down, and you were out! Knockout!”
In 1941, his grandfather was arrested, tortured and stripped of his land, for smuggling Slovakian Jews to safety after they’d crossed the border.
“…So, what started to happen, was that young guys – like you, or even younger, and girls, they started to flee into Hungary. And an easy way to flee was just to cross the river. And it started to become an occurrence that three, four o’clock in the morning, someone is knocking on the window. And there is some young guy or girl shivering there after swimming across the river Vah. And my grandfather took them in, dried them up, fed them, gave them money, and next morning before sunrise, he put them in the car and took them to Sered. To the railway station so that they can melt into the crowd…
…My grandfather became known, by the community on the other side, that “Ah! Here is a good soul. If you get there and land there, they will help you to get to freedom”.
But the authorities discovered it, somehow...”
But this was only the start of Thomas’ nightmare. By the time of his fifteenth birthday, his mother would be in Auschwitz - and Thomas himself would be on the run in a country at war, under the murderous rule of fascists.
“…That was one of the hardest parts. Because I adored my mother. I really – she was – adored is the right word. Not loved. Adored. I was the man of the house. She was my daughter, she wasn’t my mother. And I was the man looking after her. And suddenly she’s taken away. And she – I was worried about her more than about myself. But – then I got word from outside, that there’s this plan…”
In the dead of night, Thomas escaped a youth-internment camp in Budapest by scaling a human pyramid six children-high to jump the wall, where his aunt and uncle awaited him.
Young Thomas was smuggled like an illicit parcel. At first within the family - then as danger closed in, entrusted to non-Jewish friends, then mere acquaintances, until finally he was alone.
“…He went white. He could see that it was a danger for him. We came out immediately – “Let’s get outside”. We came out. He emptied his wallet, gave me all the money he had in his wallet, which was like, fifty Euros. And he said – “You can’t stay here.”
Penniless, Thomas began to live on his wits, languages and charm. His Jewish status a constant danger, he shed and assumed identities as frequently as he fled from town to town, always searching for a safe-house or a hiding place.
“My friend’s father was working within the police. And one night he came to me and said – Tom - piss off. I said – ‘why?’ He said, “I overheard that tomorrow, they’re having a round-up. They’re planning a round-up, the police, next day, specifically for Jewish persons who are hiding. So, get your stuff together, and disappear.”
“…So I got my stuff together – it wasn’t much – and the first thing I did was go to the convent. Where my stepsister was… …And I said, Cathy: you’d better piss off. She said “I’m not going anywhere”. And I said “You must. Tomorrow there is a roundup, it’s going to be a problem. Come with me – we have a chance to survive. If they catch us – that’s it. It’s the end.” And she said, no, I can’t go with you. I said – “Why not?” She said – “You look too Jewish, and they will catch us faster if we are together.”
…What can you say to that? And the poor thing – she looked more Jewish than I did, but – to her reasoning… I couldn’t persevere. What am I going to do? So I left her there. And the next day they got her. And she died in the concentration camp.”
Ever alert to opportunity and peril - lies, bargains and gambles were Thomas’ stock in trade. He passed through air raids and invasions, flight and pursuit, battle and murder.
“So… it’s almost sunrise. And I’m in the outskirts of a city - which is in heavy battle for the possession of the city. Artillery… gunfire… and suddenly – the sirens are starting. The British came to bomb. To help the Russians, who are attacking the city. And you are standing in a city that is totally empty – there is no body – no soul. Every gate is locked, because people are frightened.
And I suddenly hear the aeroplanes coming, start hearing the bombs dropping… and I am in the middle of the street, with no place to go. And I was running from one place to the other, trying to open doors, that I can get inside, and get into some shelter… nothing. So the bombs are getting closer and closer and closer…”
As he went, Thomas saved lives – and he tried, and failed, to save lives. He made the acquaintance of angels and devils - doing what he had to, to survive, return to his town and finally reclaim the family home.
“So. One night I brought him home, and he was half drunk. And he said, “…it’s no good, doing things as we’re doing them now. You’re not getting anything out of it. Tomorrow, I put you in uniform, put you on the staff, and you will be like any other soldier – you will be my assistant. I organised a medical for you”.
Now, the only medical officer in the area, was an SS German medical officer. German troop. If I had a medical with an SS officer – I’m gone.”
“Come here. Sit down at the table”. He went to his bedside table and took his pistol out and put it on the table and he said – “I’ll give you two minutes. You tell me the truth or I’ll shoot you.” So, what can I do? I said – Look. I’m just a Jewish boy trying to save his life. I’m running. Trying to escape. I’m not trying to do any harm. He said: “I had a feeling…”
Today, Thomas is a startlingly youthful 78 year-old. Each day begins with fifty push-ups and fifty sit-ups. He started taking his exercise very seriously after the war – because, as he says; “We wanted to be strong, all the Jewish guys. We wanted to be able to defend ourselves.”
Perhaps tempered by his boyhood experiences, he greets life with an unshakable magnanimity. He is a masterful storyteller - full of reflection and nuance. With plain language, he makes unimaginable scenes vivid.
“By the time we got out of that shelter, everything was – half of the city was in ruins. Everybody who was there in that cellar – one guy found his wife, and he was carrying her, crying, and the wife – no head. Completely blown away. I waited two days in Komarno, wandering from one place to the other – the whole place was in shambles, and ruins. Dead people. And I helped where I could – in exchange, I got a piece of bread or they allowed me to sleep in the air raid shelter. But after two days it was too static for me. I was worried…”
There is sorrow and horror in what he recounts. But frequently his tales become unexpectedly hilarious, or farcical. They are peppered with intelligences, memorable characters, observations and asides, expressed with tangible immediacy and striking compassion.
“I came out from under the bed, went to the Russian headquarters and said – I would like to talk to one of your officers. And after a while I spoke to one of the officers. And I said “Look – I’m a refugee Jew. A Jewish boy. And if I can be of any help – I’m now free, you can have my services.”
And they said – what can you do? And I said “Well, I can speak German, Hungarian, Slovak, and some Russian. Passable Russian.” So they said ok, wait, we’ll talk to somebody and find out. I became – within two hours – the official interpreter of the Commanding General of the Seventh Army.”
Thomas’ story begins on an all-too-familiar, and terrible, path: one that ends at the door to the gas chamber. But between his own chutzpah and a lot of luck, Thomas ultimately escaped – and as he did, crossed every social divide in his war-ravaged country.
In our new documentary, 80-year-old Thomas Beck will retrace for the first time his Second-World-War odyssey as a child-fugitive on the Hungarian / Slovakian border. As we travel, Thomas will unfold his gripping story of courage and survival, episode by episode.“…At around four o’clock in the morning, I woke up. I woke up, because it was too quiet. There was no gunfire, there was no artillery, no bombing, no nothing. It was dead quiet. And it’s amazing that if you’re used, all the time, to some noise – and that noise ceases - it‘s the same as if an alarm clock has gone off.
So I woke up, walked to the window, and looked out the window, down into the main square.
Snow.
And in the snow – right in front of the building, right under my window – is a German tank. I said - fuck… this is – this is no good. I ran from one room to the other, trying to wake up everybody in the flat – but it’s empty. There was not a soul. They packed up – that evening was planned by the General. Because he knew – that night, they’re going to withdraw. And he left me there.
And all I’ve got is a Russian uniform…”
In the late 1930s, as the fearsome grip of fascism took hold over Europe, anti-Semitism stirred in the Hungarian towns and villages around the estate of Thomas Beck’s wealthy, socialist & secular family.Thomas was the baby – “spoiled rotten”, in his own words - a sweet boy who doted on his young single mother. He spent his days between the home, the fields and the mill, blissfully unaware that his idyllic existence was being played out in the eye of a growing storm.
“…I had no problem at all, until the first day, when I went to school. And the school – I was the only Jew. In Ersekujvar – in the village. And they beat – the kids beat the shit out of me, the first day. When I got to school. And the reason they gave, was that I’d killed Jesus Christ. And I should be punished for that! [Chuckles.] Second, I’m a Jew, and therefore I should go back to Palestine. So, first day, I went home crying, and I said to my grandfather – “who is Jesus Christ? Did I kill him?”
“…And I started to go to high school and that was about the same time when they started to have to wear the Yellow Stars and Yellow armbands. And they segregated us – I remember in sports sessions, if a soccer team had to be made up, it was the Jews against the Christians. And of course, we were maybe 20 Jews in the whole school against 200 Christians - they always fielded a better team than we could! That wasn’t so bad. So, okay, we got beaten 32 – nil or something. But when the boxing sessions came – always a small Jew, with big boxing gloves, against a big non-Jew, and they beat the shit out of us, all the time. We learned some good strategies – that as soon as we got into the boxing ring, they took the first punch – duck it, lie down, and you were out! Knockout!”
In 1941, his grandfather was arrested, tortured and stripped of his land, for smuggling Slovakian Jews to safety after they’d crossed the border.
“…So, what started to happen, was that young guys – like you, or even younger, and girls, they started to flee into Hungary. And an easy way to flee was just to cross the river. And it started to become an occurrence that three, four o’clock in the morning, someone is knocking on the window. And there is some young guy or girl shivering there after swimming across the river Vah. And my grandfather took them in, dried them up, fed them, gave them money, and next morning before sunrise, he put them in the car and took them to Sered. To the railway station so that they can melt into the crowd…
…My grandfather became known, by the community on the other side, that “Ah! Here is a good soul. If you get there and land there, they will help you to get to freedom”.
But the authorities discovered it, somehow...”
But this was only the start of Thomas’ nightmare. By the time of his fifteenth birthday, his mother would be in Auschwitz - and Thomas himself would be on the run in a country at war, under the murderous rule of fascists.“…That was one of the hardest parts. Because I adored my mother. I really – she was – adored is the right word. Not loved. Adored. I was the man of the house. She was my daughter, she wasn’t my mother. And I was the man looking after her. And suddenly she’s taken away. And she – I was worried about her more than about myself. But – then I got word from outside, that there’s this plan…”
In the dead of night, Thomas escaped a youth-internment camp in Budapest by scaling a human pyramid six children-high to jump the wall, where his aunt and uncle awaited him.
Young Thomas was smuggled like an illicit parcel. At first within the family - then as danger closed in, entrusted to non-Jewish friends, then mere acquaintances, until finally he was alone.
“…He went white. He could see that it was a danger for him. We came out immediately – “Let’s get outside”. We came out. He emptied his wallet, gave me all the money he had in his wallet, which was like, fifty Euros. And he said – “You can’t stay here.”
Penniless, Thomas began to live on his wits, languages and charm. His Jewish status a constant danger, he shed and assumed identities as frequently as he fled from town to town, always searching for a safe-house or a hiding place.
“My friend’s father was working within the police. And one night he came to me and said – Tom - piss off. I said – ‘why?’ He said, “I overheard that tomorrow, they’re having a round-up. They’re planning a round-up, the police, next day, specifically for Jewish persons who are hiding. So, get your stuff together, and disappear.”
“…So I got my stuff together – it wasn’t much – and the first thing I did was go to the convent. Where my stepsister was… …And I said, Cathy: you’d better piss off. She said “I’m not going anywhere”. And I said “You must. Tomorrow there is a roundup, it’s going to be a problem. Come with me – we have a chance to survive. If they catch us – that’s it. It’s the end.” And she said, no, I can’t go with you. I said – “Why not?” She said – “You look too Jewish, and they will catch us faster if we are together.”
…What can you say to that? And the poor thing – she looked more Jewish than I did, but – to her reasoning… I couldn’t persevere. What am I going to do? So I left her there. And the next day they got her. And she died in the concentration camp.”
Ever alert to opportunity and peril - lies, bargains and gambles were Thomas’ stock in trade. He passed through air raids and invasions, flight and pursuit, battle and murder.
“So… it’s almost sunrise. And I’m in the outskirts of a city - which is in heavy battle for the possession of the city. Artillery… gunfire… and suddenly – the sirens are starting. The British came to bomb. To help the Russians, who are attacking the city. And you are standing in a city that is totally empty – there is no body – no soul. Every gate is locked, because people are frightened.
And I suddenly hear the aeroplanes coming, start hearing the bombs dropping… and I am in the middle of the street, with no place to go. And I was running from one place to the other, trying to open doors, that I can get inside, and get into some shelter… nothing. So the bombs are getting closer and closer and closer…”
As he went, Thomas saved lives – and he tried, and failed, to save lives. He made the acquaintance of angels and devils - doing what he had to, to survive, return to his town and finally reclaim the family home.“So. One night I brought him home, and he was half drunk. And he said, “…it’s no good, doing things as we’re doing them now. You’re not getting anything out of it. Tomorrow, I put you in uniform, put you on the staff, and you will be like any other soldier – you will be my assistant. I organised a medical for you”.
Now, the only medical officer in the area, was an SS German medical officer. German troop. If I had a medical with an SS officer – I’m gone.”
“Come here. Sit down at the table”. He went to his bedside table and took his pistol out and put it on the table and he said – “I’ll give you two minutes. You tell me the truth or I’ll shoot you.” So, what can I do? I said – Look. I’m just a Jewish boy trying to save his life. I’m running. Trying to escape. I’m not trying to do any harm. He said: “I had a feeling…”
Today, Thomas is a startlingly youthful 78 year-old. Each day begins with fifty push-ups and fifty sit-ups. He started taking his exercise very seriously after the war – because, as he says; “We wanted to be strong, all the Jewish guys. We wanted to be able to defend ourselves.”
Perhaps tempered by his boyhood experiences, he greets life with an unshakable magnanimity. He is a masterful storyteller - full of reflection and nuance. With plain language, he makes unimaginable scenes vivid.
“By the time we got out of that shelter, everything was – half of the city was in ruins. Everybody who was there in that cellar – one guy found his wife, and he was carrying her, crying, and the wife – no head. Completely blown away. I waited two days in Komarno, wandering from one place to the other – the whole place was in shambles, and ruins. Dead people. And I helped where I could – in exchange, I got a piece of bread or they allowed me to sleep in the air raid shelter. But after two days it was too static for me. I was worried…”
There is sorrow and horror in what he recounts. But frequently his tales become unexpectedly hilarious, or farcical. They are peppered with intelligences, memorable characters, observations and asides, expressed with tangible immediacy and striking compassion.
“I came out from under the bed, went to the Russian headquarters and said – I would like to talk to one of your officers. And after a while I spoke to one of the officers. And I said “Look – I’m a refugee Jew. A Jewish boy. And if I can be of any help – I’m now free, you can have my services.”
And they said – what can you do? And I said “Well, I can speak German, Hungarian, Slovak, and some Russian. Passable Russian.” So they said ok, wait, we’ll talk to somebody and find out. I became – within two hours – the official interpreter of the Commanding General of the Seventh Army.”
Thomas’ story begins on an all-too-familiar, and terrible, path: one that ends at the door to the gas chamber. But between his own chutzpah and a lot of luck, Thomas ultimately escaped – and as he did, crossed every social divide in his war-ravaged country.
Friday, 25 January 2008
Trailer 2
thomas morph trailer By sam lawlor
View in HD Download 576p Version Visit sam lawlor's ExposureRoom Videos Page
This is just a little fun we were having with some of the photos we've gathered from Thomas. The earliest two show him just before, and just after the war-story he tells in the documentary. The rest serve to give the tiniest flavour of the long and interesting life he subsequently led!
View in HD Download 576p Version Visit sam lawlor's ExposureRoom Videos Page
Friday, 7 December 2007
"GREAT TALENT & HEARTS" ...SOME PRESS ABOUT OUR WORK
Observer Magazine - "Rising Stars" March '07
Some responses to our 2007 documentary feature "We'll Never Meet Childhood Again" [More information about this and previous films can be found at www.lawlor-pollock.com]:
"This is a very powerful and very moving film... ...It is a reminder of all that is best in human beings and for that reason is very inspiring."
- Tony Benn
"We're thrilled to be screening Sam Lawlor and Lindsay Pollock's debut film at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in London. It's always wonderful to discover young documentary filmmakers who find a forgotten story and tell it with drive and compassion, as they have in We'll Never Meet Childhood Again. Lawlor and Pollock are filmmakers with great talent and hearts."
Bruni Burres - Sundance Institute / Former HRWIFF Director
“The struggle for equal rights—particularly the modest desire to live with a hope for tomorrow—is given a heartbreaking voice in We'll Never Meet Childhood Again. …the filmmakers paint a moving portrayal of one society's forgotten souls.”
Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine
“Along with its positive message of support and solidarity with HIV positive children, the film acts as an educational tool, dismissing false beliefs about modes of transmission of the virus. Moreover it explores the children's psychological problems as they grow up and start thinking about having their own families”
Khalid Ali, British Medical Journal
“Debut documentary-makers Sam Lawlor and Lindsay Pollock have focused on profound stories of courage amid the chaos.… heartwarming and heartrending by turns... ...I hope it will have a long and fruitful future at festivals and on televisions across the world. 4 Stars.”
Amber Wilkinson, Eye For Film
“surprisingly uplifting”
www.indiewire.com
THOMAS BECK IN DAZED & CONFUSED MAGAZINE
An interview with Thomas from world-famous fashion and culture glossy "Dazed & Confused" (UK) - Feb '08.
The magazine was guest-edited by Hot Chip. Felix Martin and Al Doyle from that band are writing the score for the film - and Felix will join us as sound recordist on the shoot. Never a wall-flower, Thomas has some typically frank, humorous and interesting responses to the questions.
The interview begins with an introduction from Hot Chip's Felix Martin:
"Sam Lawlor, Lindsay Pollock and I have collaborated on film projects for over a decade. A couple of years ago they met Thomas Beck, an extraordinary 80 year-old man who survived the Holocaust in Hungary, and they are now trying to film his story. I met Thomas when he attended a Hot Chip gig in Sydney, and I can honestly say he is the single best audience member I have ever been blessed with at one of our shows..."
In 1944, Thomas Beck's family were rounded up for deportation to Auschwitz. Aged just 14, Thomas escaped – and spent a year at large on the wrong side of the lines, in a Fascist country at war. He could never risk staying put for long – and even after '45 he just kept moving, living in scores of countries, marrying 6 times, and making & losing a fortune in the gym business. A documentary about his boyhood experiences is presently shooting with a soundtrack from Hot Chip's Felix Martin & Al Doyle – Thomas' 2nd favourite band after the Gypsy Kings. Here he tells us a little about life…
1. Thomas, how did you enjoy the Hot Chip gig in Sydney? I understand you threw down some smooth dance-moves...
It was terrific. We were given a red carpet treatment by Felix and the boys. We had front row balcony seats and throughout the concert, everyone was dancing, including me. Next to me on my right (on the left I had my ex-wife) was a stunning girl in her early twenties, who kept rubbing against me in the heat of the music. Being well aware of the possessive temper of my partner - very reluctantly - I had to ask her to cut it out, for the sake of her own safety.
2. You're 80, but perform 50 push-ups and sit-ups every morning. Do you recommend it?
Only for die hards. It requires a lot of discipline, and even if it is there, do not try with fifty on the first day. But it beats going to a gym and leaves you with no excuses not doing it. Exercise is essential for a healthy and longer life. By the way, dancing is almost as good an exercise as sex.
3. Where and when in have you been happiest?
Anywhere, anytime during a good orgasm.
4. What's the most amazing sight you've seen in your life?
During the war, I was caught in an allied bombing raid, walking the street of Komarom (Now in Slovakia, called Komarno) at dawn. Being just dropped off at the outskirts of the city by my benefactor, a Hungarian Nazi captain of the border guards, trying to reach the frontline to be liberated again by the Russians, I did not know a soul in this town.
When the sirens sounded, announcing an imminent air raid, I tryed to open every gate on a deserted street, in the hope of finding a shelter. None has opened. The bombs were dropping in the distance, coming closer avery second. Finally I could do no more than flatten myself against a heavy oak door, when a bomb struck in the vicinity. The air pressure tore of the hinges of the door and it fell forward to a a set of stairs, leading directly to an air raid shelter.
I sled into the shelter, riding on top of the door, to the shrieks of the people inside.
When it was over, I walked out in a shock to the saddest sight I have ever seen. Houses in ruins, the whole street razed to rubble, people screaming everywhere, wounded or grieving, one man carrying his wife's torso without a head in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
5. During the war you mixed with – and befriended - people on both sides of the divide. Why do you think people fight?
In a war, you have little choice. Pumped up with propaganda and threatened with a bullet as a deserter, you fight. I do believe that the majority of people in any nation, would prefer not to, given a choice.
6. Who's your hero?
Henry Kissinger. Ever since a toddler, I wanted to be a diplomat. Looking at him in his hayday, I could not stop wondering; what if my parents were as intelligent as his and left Europe when it was still possible?
Some responses to our 2007 documentary feature "We'll Never Meet Childhood Again" [More information about this and previous films can be found at www.lawlor-pollock.com]:"This is a very powerful and very moving film... ...It is a reminder of all that is best in human beings and for that reason is very inspiring."
- Tony Benn
"We're thrilled to be screening Sam Lawlor and Lindsay Pollock's debut film at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in London. It's always wonderful to discover young documentary filmmakers who find a forgotten story and tell it with drive and compassion, as they have in We'll Never Meet Childhood Again. Lawlor and Pollock are filmmakers with great talent and hearts."
Bruni Burres - Sundance Institute / Former HRWIFF Director
“The struggle for equal rights—particularly the modest desire to live with a hope for tomorrow—is given a heartbreaking voice in We'll Never Meet Childhood Again. …the filmmakers paint a moving portrayal of one society's forgotten souls.”
Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine
“Along with its positive message of support and solidarity with HIV positive children, the film acts as an educational tool, dismissing false beliefs about modes of transmission of the virus. Moreover it explores the children's psychological problems as they grow up and start thinking about having their own families”
Khalid Ali, British Medical Journal
“Debut documentary-makers Sam Lawlor and Lindsay Pollock have focused on profound stories of courage amid the chaos.… heartwarming and heartrending by turns... ...I hope it will have a long and fruitful future at festivals and on televisions across the world. 4 Stars.”
Amber Wilkinson, Eye For Film
“surprisingly uplifting”
www.indiewire.com
THOMAS BECK IN DAZED & CONFUSED MAGAZINE
An interview with Thomas from world-famous fashion and culture glossy "Dazed & Confused" (UK) - Feb '08. The magazine was guest-edited by Hot Chip. Felix Martin and Al Doyle from that band are writing the score for the film - and Felix will join us as sound recordist on the shoot. Never a wall-flower, Thomas has some typically frank, humorous and interesting responses to the questions.
The interview begins with an introduction from Hot Chip's Felix Martin:
"Sam Lawlor, Lindsay Pollock and I have collaborated on film projects for over a decade. A couple of years ago they met Thomas Beck, an extraordinary 80 year-old man who survived the Holocaust in Hungary, and they are now trying to film his story. I met Thomas when he attended a Hot Chip gig in Sydney, and I can honestly say he is the single best audience member I have ever been blessed with at one of our shows..."
In 1944, Thomas Beck's family were rounded up for deportation to Auschwitz. Aged just 14, Thomas escaped – and spent a year at large on the wrong side of the lines, in a Fascist country at war. He could never risk staying put for long – and even after '45 he just kept moving, living in scores of countries, marrying 6 times, and making & losing a fortune in the gym business. A documentary about his boyhood experiences is presently shooting with a soundtrack from Hot Chip's Felix Martin & Al Doyle – Thomas' 2nd favourite band after the Gypsy Kings. Here he tells us a little about life…
1. Thomas, how did you enjoy the Hot Chip gig in Sydney? I understand you threw down some smooth dance-moves...
It was terrific. We were given a red carpet treatment by Felix and the boys. We had front row balcony seats and throughout the concert, everyone was dancing, including me. Next to me on my right (on the left I had my ex-wife) was a stunning girl in her early twenties, who kept rubbing against me in the heat of the music. Being well aware of the possessive temper of my partner - very reluctantly - I had to ask her to cut it out, for the sake of her own safety.
2. You're 80, but perform 50 push-ups and sit-ups every morning. Do you recommend it?
Only for die hards. It requires a lot of discipline, and even if it is there, do not try with fifty on the first day. But it beats going to a gym and leaves you with no excuses not doing it. Exercise is essential for a healthy and longer life. By the way, dancing is almost as good an exercise as sex.
3. Where and when in have you been happiest?
Anywhere, anytime during a good orgasm.
4. What's the most amazing sight you've seen in your life?
During the war, I was caught in an allied bombing raid, walking the street of Komarom (Now in Slovakia, called Komarno) at dawn. Being just dropped off at the outskirts of the city by my benefactor, a Hungarian Nazi captain of the border guards, trying to reach the frontline to be liberated again by the Russians, I did not know a soul in this town.
When the sirens sounded, announcing an imminent air raid, I tryed to open every gate on a deserted street, in the hope of finding a shelter. None has opened. The bombs were dropping in the distance, coming closer avery second. Finally I could do no more than flatten myself against a heavy oak door, when a bomb struck in the vicinity. The air pressure tore of the hinges of the door and it fell forward to a a set of stairs, leading directly to an air raid shelter.
I sled into the shelter, riding on top of the door, to the shrieks of the people inside.
When it was over, I walked out in a shock to the saddest sight I have ever seen. Houses in ruins, the whole street razed to rubble, people screaming everywhere, wounded or grieving, one man carrying his wife's torso without a head in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
5. During the war you mixed with – and befriended - people on both sides of the divide. Why do you think people fight?
In a war, you have little choice. Pumped up with propaganda and threatened with a bullet as a deserter, you fight. I do believe that the majority of people in any nation, would prefer not to, given a choice.
6. Who's your hero?
Henry Kissinger. Ever since a toddler, I wanted to be a diplomat. Looking at him in his hayday, I could not stop wondering; what if my parents were as intelligent as his and left Europe when it was still possible?
Thursday, 6 December 2007
"I'm a Jewish boy who's trying to save his life"
After a long time sleeping rough and alone, Thomas had a chance encounter in a pub with a fascist border-captain. Multi-lingual Thomas was dragooned into service as a translator. The murderous Captain was unaware of the boy's Jewish identity - until the night Thomas tried to escape. This is a short excerpt from one of many dramatic episodes in Thomas's story.
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