Introduction by Dr. Daniel Schroeter, University of Minnesota
Saturday, November 9, 2013
7:00 p.m.
St. Anthony Main Theatre
Tickets: $5.00
BESA:The Promise weaves Albania's heroism in WWII through the vérité journeys of two men. One is Norman Gershman, a renowned Jewish-American photographer determined to document first-person accounts of the Albanian Muslims who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. The other is Rexhep Hoxha, a Muslim-Albanian. Rexhep must fulfill the promise made to a Jewish family his father rescued during the Holocaust and return to them a set of Hebrew books they left behind. And Rexhep's promise is more than words - it's part of his besa - an honor code that, among other things, pledges all Albanians to offer safe harbor to refugees.
More than seven years in the making, Besa: The Promise presents a powerful human drama compounded by a devastating twist. It is a story that that bridges generations and religions ... uniting fathers and sons ... Muslims and Jews.
To view the trailer click here.
Sponsored by: The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Center for Austrian Studies, European Studies Consortium, Center for Jewish Studies, The Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Jewish Community Relations Council.
