From the Cleveland Film Festival
A Review of "Forgiving Dr. Mengele"

From Anne Price, who's covering the Cleveland International Film Festival for About.com Cleveland this week, a review of the film Forgiving Dr. Mengele.
_____________

What is the nature of forgiveness? What damage is done to a soul unable to let go of the past, and can any human being really forgive atrocity?

Questions without universal or easy answers are at the heart of Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bob Hercules and Cheri Pugh's stunning documentary. It's both the tale of Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor (pictured at right) and a rumination on personal and collective amnesty.

The Power of Forgiveness
Kor's story alone is remarkable. Held at Auschwitz with her twin Miriam, part of Josef Mengele's monstrous experiments, she's a walking testament to tragedy, trauma, and transcendence. She's also an outspoken, indomitable force of nature, marching her message of forgiveness across the continent. When she states, "I just kept thinking, 'If I die, then Miriam will be murdered as well," it's easy to believe this determination alone kept her alive through poisonous injections of bacteria.

This same will is met with great resistance from fellow Holocaust survivors when Kor decides to publicly and quite vocally forgive the Nazis. Forgiveness is elusive and personal, they argue. Giving up grief dishonors not only their experiences, but those of family and friends who perished in the Holocaust.

Kor wandered that very path for several years following the liberation of Auschwitz. Transformation arrived late in life. While meeting former SS doctor Hans Munch during a quest for her sister's medical records, Kor was struck by his genuine regret. A different perspective began to emerge in her mind.

The Controversy of Forgiveness
Other survivors seem understandably incapable of comprehending their own lives outside the context of the horrors experienced. Though it's never stated outright, they seem to imply that forgiving any of their transgressors would rob a piece of their souls. Kor argues that holding such anger and hatred stops their souls from growing further. "Getting even has never healed a single person," she explains. But what are the costs to others of letting go?

An utterly absorbing view into one woman's triumphant spirit and the personal, profound matter of forgiveness, Forgiving Dr. Mengele leaves lingering questions and impressions long after the movie ends.

____________

The Cleveland International Film Festival runs through Sunday, March 25 at Tower City Cinemas. Individual tickets are $10.

^{(Image courtesy of First Run Features)}