Documentary Feature AFIN 011
Forget Us Not
Directed by 
Heather E. Connell
AFIN 2019 Nominee
- 2019
- 1h 10m
-
USA - English
- History
- Drama
Stills
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Synopsis
Forget Us Not is a moving, in depth look at the persecution and subsequent death of the 5 million non Jewish victims of the WWII Holocaust and the lives of those who survived. Through stories of survivors and historical footage, these lesser known voices are brought to life. From the Roma and Sinti people who were also targeted for complete annihilation to the thousands of Catholic priests who were killed for speaking out, Forget Us Not strives to educate and give tribute to those who were killed for their religion, ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation and physical handicaps.
Director's Statement
In 2002, during a visit to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, I first became aware of the use of the classification chart. After seeing the various different symbols used to classify prisoners, I realized I had no idea who these other persecuted groups were or why they were targeted. Five million murdered. From a historical and educational perspective, I wanted to bring their voices to life before there were no longer any survivors left to share their stories. From this moment, the documentary Forget Us Not was born. It has been a powerful and humbling journey through the past and present. By the time the film was complete, two of the survivors I had interviewed for Forget Us Not had died. In some small way, I hope they felt a measure of peace knowing that they were able to share their stories. My life has been deeply impacted by being invited into their lives and given the gift of sharing it with a broader audience.
What makes this one special
- 4 awards at other festivalsFirst Glance Film Festival · Artisan Festival International Hamptons · Columbia Gorge International Film Festival and 1 more
- Programmed at 4 other festivals
- Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
Also selected at
4 awards across 4 other festivals
- WinnerFirst Glance Film Festival
- WinnerArtisan Festival International Hamptons
- WinnerColumbia Gorge International Film Festival
- WinnerRhode Island International Film Festival
Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.
Director's Biography
Heather E. Connell Director
Heather E. Connell was born and raised in Massachusetts where she studied screenwriting and theatre arts at Salem State College. In 2001, she relocated to Los Angeles and founded Displaced Yankee Productions, an independent film company dedicated to using film as a platform for raising social awareness and activism through entertainment. After making two short films, Choosing Your Course (2002) and Black and White (2004), Heather produced and directed her first feature documentary, the award-winning Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia’s Children. Her second documentary feature, the award-winning Forget Us Not, follows the stories of some of the five-million non-Jewish Holocaust survivors and is narrated by Golden Globe-winning actor Ron Perlman. Connell founded the Safe Haven Medical Outreach Program in 2008. Safe Haven is a non-profit educational and therapeutic outreach program for disabled children in Siem Riep, Cambodia. She is a recipient of GO Magazine's "100 Women We Love" and the David Chow Foundation Humanitarian Award.
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Forget Us Not was an official Nominee for Best Documentary Feature at the AFIN International Film Festival 2019, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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