A Boy's Life
Christian KRÖNES, Florian WEIGENSAMER
- Austria
- 2022
- 96min
- 12 +
- DCP
- black and white
Asian premiere
Synopsis
Daniel Chanoch was deported to Auschwitz at only eight-years-old. Young and crafty, he survived his encounters with the infamous Dr. Mengele and the horrors of the Holocaust. Daniel was liberated in 1945 at age 13 with an entire life ahead of him. Now 90-years-old, he recounts his whole story.
Review
A Boy’s Life completes a trilogy that includes A German’s Life which follows Goebbels' secretary Brunhilde Pomsel and A Jewish’s Life which portrays Holocaust survivor Jewish man Marco Feingold, thus drawing a three-part portrait of life under Nazi tyranny. Similar to the previous installments, the directors' camera closely visualizes the faces of individuals, focusing this time on Daniel Chanoch, a Holocaust survivor now aged 90, who shares his childhood memories. He was only eight years old when he entered Auschwitz. There, he even faced Josef Mengele, known as the Angel of Death, yet he managed to survive and was liberated at the age of seventeen. The film revolves around close-up images of his face as he testifies, intricately interwoven with various archival materials and footage recorded by Chanoch himself. Throughout the trilogy, the directors' visual direction achieves the highest density of content that an interview can offer. Did someone say that another's face demands a response? Having embodied the tragedy of history throughout his life, how will we respond to him? This question lingers, as he still lives in a world stained by war and death.
Director
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Christian KRÖNES
Christian Krönes worked for major German broadcasting companies and set up a media agency in Vienna. His work as a consultant and freelance producer allowed him to engage with renowned film production companies. He collaborated with Sir Peter Ustinov on TV and stage productions. He became the personal advisor and manager for Ustinov until his death in 2004. In 2006, Christian Krönes founded Blackbox Film and with over 30 years of experience in the film branch.
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Florian WEIGENSAMER
Florian Weigensamer studied Political and Communication Science at the University of Vienna. He started his journalism career at profil magazine. In 1995, he joined Vienna News International, directing reports for European TV. With Christian Krönes, he created political documentaries for arte about Eastern Europe and Asia. He also made multimedia content for museums. He co-founded the Blackbox-Collective in 2006 after collaborating with San Francisco artists.