Austria 2023
Opening November 7, 2024

Directed by: Robert Hofferer
Writing credits: Robert Hofferer
Principal actors: Documentary: Helga Feldner-Busztin, Elisabeth Scheiderbauer, Iris Berben, Konstantin Wecker, Ina Regen

Two sisters of Jewish descent who lived in Vienna, Austria, give their personal account as Holocaust survivors while in the Theresienstadt concentration camp (known as Theresienstadt Ghetto) in filmmaker Robert Hofferer’s documentary Kreis der Wahrheit. The sisters were imprisoned as children.

Helga Feldner-Busztin (ninety-four) and Elisabeth Scheiderbauer (eighty-seven), now in their twilight years, clearly recall the circumstances that led up to their deportation from their home in Austria, when the Germans invaded their homeland during Hitler’s Nazi regime.

Helga was fourteen years old, and Elisabeth was seven. Their mother, born a Christian, converted to Judaism around 1931, because she felt it best for the family to be of the same faith. She was among those deported with her daughters which allowed her to stay with the girls on a journey unknown, soon to be a terrifying one. The girls’ father, of Jewish descent, was taken into custody while they were in school. His journey began as a forced laborer in the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany—the first and largest concentration camp established in 1937. He was then taken and imprisoned in Fascist Italy. After the invasion of the Allies, he was deported in April 1944 to the concentration camp in Auschwitz.

Each member of this family had their own horrendous experience depending on the type of concentration camp they were incarcerated in. Historically, one is familiar with the atrocities of Auschwitz, including its low statistical survival rate. Those in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, located in the Czech Republic, had different experiences, though death for many would be imminent.

Thereisienstadt Ghetto specialized in the imprisonment of the elderly and children, but not excluding younger adults. It was the Nazi’s propaganda camp to show the world how well those prisoners were treated. According to Helga and Elisabeth everyone knew when visitors were to appear in the camp as things were wonderful for a few short hours. But, as soon as the guests left, it was back to the normal ill-treatment and starvation dictated by the authority figures in charge. The girls recall that they were always horrifically hungry.

Hofferer creatively uses archival film footage of the Thereisenstadt Ghetto, as well as featuring several artists and their specialized art forms to collaborate with Helga and Elisabeth’s journey in Kreis der Wahrheit. Each featured artist interprets the narrative by using their specific talent to enhance Helga and Elisabeth’s storytelling, giving credence and life to the reasons one must denounce hate and choose love toward mankind.

Hofferer, along with his featured cast, understands that this part of history should never be forgotten. In order for their message to be relevant for future generations, creative storytelling is at the focal point in Kreis der Wahrheit, which includes amazing cinematography, charcoal drawings, and the array of art forms presented with their maker: Rob Perez—graffiti and painting artist; Cat Jimenez—dancer; Konstantin Wecker—songwriter, musician, composer and poet; Ina Regen—singer; Thomas Jastram—sculpturer; Iris Berben—actress; Julia Malischnig—musician; Valentina Inzko Fink—actress; and Matthias Liener—actor. Hofferer hopes that the documentary gives food for thought and that the audience will be deeply moved by the sisters’ journey, their survival as children, and their remarkable homecoming, despite Helga being on the transport list due East to the killing camps three times, and miraculously escaping each encounter that would have been her premature demise.

Take a deep breath, open your heart, and be ready to take an important journey with Helga and Elisabeth as they share life lessons learned from being Holocaust survivors in a concentration camp.  (Karen P.)