While She Was Out
2009
Search results
Rating
Mar 10, 2022 · ‘I Am Here’ Review: A Holocaust Survivor Reckons With Her Pain. Decades after experiencing some of the most nightmarish moments of World War II, a woman shares her stories. Share full...
Mar 11, 2022 · 91% Tomatometer 11 Reviews A life-affirming documentary that celebrates the remarkable life of Ella Blumenthal, whose magnetic personality and spirit has remained undimmed despite living through...
- (11)
- Documentary
- Jordy Sank
Director Jordy Sanks beautifully moving documentary, I AM HERE, captures the horrors of one of the darkest chapters in history, while also reminding the audience of the importance of love,...
Mar 8, 2022 · ( 2 stars) Combining animation and voice-over interviews, the Holocaust-memoir documentary “I Am Here,” while a moving tale of survival, calls to mind another, far superior film that tells a...
- Sharing A Story
- Use of Animation
- Telling Rather Than Showing
- Risk in Storytelling
- Honoring The Past
I Am Here is the result of the long-time friendship of director Jordy Sankand Ella Blumenthal, and his desire to capture her story for posterity.The documentary allows Ella Blumenthalspace to recount her extraordinary life of survival, resilience, bravery and hope, while other times opening lines of discussion but never returning to them. Under clo...
I applaud the use of animation to illustrate Ella Blumenthal’spast. Animator Greg Bakker uses a 2-D animation style to vividly illustrate the past, and to be honest, it is one of the best parts of the film. Instead of using the same stock footage that every documentary has used for World War II and the Holocaust, Jordy Sankallows the animation to l...
I Am Hereclocks in at around 73 minutes, just squeaking in to being a feature. While the shorter length is not bad, the timing also prevents the audience from getting a form of closure on all ends of the story. If the documentary was 45 minutes long, editing could have helped contain the focus on particular aspects of Ella Blumenthal’slife. If the ...
Where the documentary falls short is that it chooses to play it too safe. It is a faithful interpretation of the events of Ella Blumenthal’slife, and what led to her telling this story. While this is engaging to watch, the story becomes very linear and does not really feel like it has an emotional arc that brings together Ella’spast and Ella’sprese...
Time marches on, and eventually, everyone passes on from this world. Every year, there are fewer survivors who can bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust. As a public, it is our responsibility to document the experiences of people like Ella Blumenthalso that we can learn from and mourn the lives of those we lost. I Am Hereis not a perfect fil...
Dec 28, 2022 · This is the launchpad for an intimate memoir from Ella Blumenthal, whose compassionate letter to a high profile influencer and denialist became the inception for this vivid chronicle of her storied life in the life-affirming hybrid documentary, I Am Here.
Feb 25, 2021 · I Am Here: Directed by Jordy Sank. With Ella Blumenthal. Ella is not your average 98-year-old. Her magnetic personality makes her past even more surprising. Follow this spirited South African Holocaust survivor as she reveals her astonishing life journey and unwavering appreciation of life.
