Holocaust survivors Rodi Glass and Marion Deichmann at SXSW 2024. Credit: Wendy Goodman

By Wendy Goodman

At SXSW 2024, attendees were profoundly moved by a groundbreaking session featuring Holocaust survivors Rodi Glass and Marion Deichmann along with VR filmmaker Darren Emerson and SVP of Education and Exhibitions at Illinois Holocaust Museum Kelley Szany who offered a poignant and powerful exploration of history, memory, and the enduring human spirit. 

The session explored a series of virtual reality (VR) short documentaries, created by Illinois Holocaust Museum and East City Films production company, that transport viewers into the lived experiences of three Holocaust survivors, Glass, Deichmann and Doris Fogel (z”l). Through cutting-edge technology and immersive storytelling techniques, the films display the personal narratives of these individuals who endured unimaginable hardship and persecution during one of humanity’s darkest chapters. 

The films premiered at the SXSW Immersive Pavilion for attendees to view on VR headsets. 

“Letters From Drancy” showcases the story of Deichmann whose mother was deported to Auschwitz and murdered.  

“I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to use this wonderful development, like nothing before I’ve known, called virtual reality. My objective in life is to tell my mother’s story. She died in Auschwitz in the gas chamber, which in my eyes is the ultimate evil that man has ever done to another man,” said Deichmann.  

In “Walk to Westerbork,” Glass recounts her story of survival from Amsterdam in Westerbork transit camp and Vittel internment camp. 

“I had always told, whoever wanted to listen, that the stories in the museums in the United States always emphasized that the Holocaust atrocities only happened to the people in Eastern Europe. Little did the American public know that 75 percent of the Dutch Jews – there were 140,000 in 1940, and 102,000 were murdered – and very few people are aware of that. And that’s why I desperately wanted to make this film, to let whoever sees it know what happened to us,” said Glass. 

“Escape to Shanghai” documents Fogel’s (z”l) first-hand experience of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) and her escape to China. 

The VR documentaries, directed by Mary Matheson and Charlotte Mikkelborg in collaboration with Emerson, provide a unique opportunity for audiences to engage with history in a visceral and deeply empathetic manner, allowing them to walk alongside survivors as they recounted their harrowing journeys of survival, resilience, and hope. 

Moreover, the session fostered dialogue and reflection on the importance of bearing witness to history and preserving the voices of survivors for future generations. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with survivors, ask questions and express their gratitude for their willingness to share their stories in such a profound and innovative format. 

The session also highlighted the transformative potential of VR technology as a tool for education and social change. By leveraging immersive storytelling techniques, filmmakers and technologists are able to create experiences that transcend traditional boundaries of time and space, allowing viewers to connect with history on a deeply personal level. 

“The challenge is – from the perspective of not being Jewish as well – how to navigate these really complex stories that deal with really sensitive issues and families, and to try to creatively use the technology the right way,” said Emerson who described the challenge of making these films in VR.  

As the session concluded, attendees left with a renewed sense of urgency to honor the memory of Holocaust survivors and ensure that their stories are never forgotten. The VR documentaries served as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of storytelling to inspire empathy, compassion, and understanding in an increasingly interconnected world.