
Frank "Misa" Grunwald was born in Czechoslovakia in September of 1932. Four months later, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. Misa's Fugue is the true story of one boy's journey through Prague, Terezin, Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Melk, and Gunskirchen as a victim of arbitrary Nazi oppression. While exposed to some of the most horrific people, places, and events of the Holocaust, Frank Grunwald was able to endure the atrocities of genocide through a love for art and music t... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
Frank "Misa" Grunwald was born in Czechoslovakia in September of 1932. Four months later, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. Misa's Fugue is the true story of one boy's journey through Prague, Terezin, Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Melk, and Gunskirchen as a victim of arbitrary Nazi oppression. While exposed to some of the most horrific people, places, and events of the Holocaust, Frank Grunwald was able to endure the atrocities of genocide through a love for art and music that his childhood in Prague had instilled in him. His story of suffering, loss, and self-discovery is poignantly told from the perspective of a child who had lived with these tragic memories for more than half of a century. Encountering the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele and legendary artist Dina Babbitt along the way, Frank Grunwald's life demonstrates the decision that all men and women must make to devote their lives either to the creation or destruction of human civilization. The tapestry of tragedy and artistry in the life of Frank Grunwald is interwoven with the teenage painters, sculptors, musicians, and filmmakers from Fleetwood Area High School who collaborated to create a documentary that attempts to embellish the creative spirit amidst the most destructive moment in human history.
Leave your thoughts about Misa's Fugue.
| User ReviewGreg RAbsolutely one of the best stories ever told from the Holocaust. Brilliant and heart-wrenching. |
| User ReviewJohn DAll documentaries on survivors that I have seen are searing, instructive, and meaningful. This production and film, however, is truly unique among Holocaust survivor documentaries. This historical and creative work could not have been produced without a bit of luck, surviving family film clips from the 1930s, family photography from the 1940s, and Spielberg's Shoah oral history archive. Even more important proved to be the creative vision of the director, extensive historical knowledge of the producer, key efforts of fellow faculty at Fleetwood Area High School, and most importantly scores of artistic contributions (visual and musical) by pupils of Fleetwood High. Given the richness of outstanding works of the last 25 years, we've become used to giants producing stellar works on the history of the Holocaust. This documentary, however, is truly *unique* in that it's an accomplished, singular, and original collaborative creation not of established documentarians. Instead the "giants" here are secondary educators (film specialists, historians, script writers, editors) and their many, many pupils (a composer, vocalists, musicians, artists, and researchers). In short: this is an incredible and unique documentary. Don't miss it: it has much to teach and it's truly one of a kind. John J. Delaney, Ph.D. Former Revson Research Fellow Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Professor of History Department of History Kutztown University Kutztown, PA USA |
| User ReviewCyndi GIncredible documentary. Great job done by all. |
| User ReviewRachel HMisa's Fugue is an amazing film--historical, emotional, unforgettable. Listening to the oral history recounted by Frank Grunwald brings to life the horrors of the Holocaust and the pain that Frank, as a child and now, endures. His unconditional love for his mother lives through that special sculpture. It is a story painful to tell, but one that we all must hear. This film also incorporates the talents of student filmmakers, musicians, and artists, bringing to the screen the work of so many. It is a film not to be missed--an outstanding documentary. |
| User ReviewScotty MSuperb film--moving, heartbreaking, inspiring. The screenplay is impeccable too! |
| User ReviewMichael LOn of the most moving pictures I've ever seen. It makes me cry every time I've watched it. Everyone needs to honestly watch it, because of the deep emotion through out the movie was also put into making it. |
| User ReviewKay EThere are 1000s of documentaries about WW2. One of the things that really sets this movie apart from others is that in this first-person account from a survivor, we get phrases, descriptions, and words the way an American would say them. Frank (Misa) has lived in the US for over 60 years. Often the first-person accounts in WW2 documentaries are described using a translator or by a person who doesn't have American English as a primary language. Not so with this film. I think it will have a marked impact on American audiences. Also, the fact that this was produced and executed by a high school team, led by amazing professionals adds to its deeply touching subject and story. |