No Place on Earth
Director: Janet Tobias
Cast: Chris Nicola, Katalin Lábán, Saul Stermer, Sam Stermer, Sonia Dodyk, Sima Dodyk, Yetta Stermer, Sol Wexler,
How can life be found in the heart of impenetrable darkness? How does one hold on to hope in the depths of such complete and utter despair? In this powerful and inspiring documentary, Chris Nicola must ponder these questions and more as he embarks on a journey to illuminate the truth after discovering the remnants of a secret Jewish refuge hidden within a labyrinth of Ukranian caves.
The caves represented life to the Jews. Within the dark labyrinth of the grotto, the Jews were given the chance to keep their families together. The water that the cave yielded allowed the Jews to keep their fragile existence from being completely extinguished. Its dark caverns protected the Jews from the deadly forces that sought to destroy them. The walls of the cave allowed the Jews to keep the legacy of their family intact by preserving the names of the souls that were lost to the Germans and the lives that were saved by more than mere happenstance. The connection that the Jews shared with the caves remains intact because the Jews return to the caves to honor the place that kept them alive in their darkest moment.
One of the strongest themes woven through the film is family. The purpose of the Jews hiding in the cave was so they could hide from the invading Germans and keep their family together. Whether they were walking in the Nazi’s shadow to their deaths or they were able to remain alive in the protection of the cave, the Jews survived because their family bond was unbreakable. The Jews’ battle stems not only from hiding from the Germans but also from their constant struggle to survive. After their first refuge in the Verteba Cave is compromised, the Jews find a second cavern deeper in the earth to protect them from the Nazis. When the Jews are trapped in the grotto after they are literally buried alive, they do not surrender to death. Instead, they search through the darkness until they find a way back to the light. Living in almost total darkness, with barely enough food to sustain them, the Jews hid in their secret refuge at Priest’s Grotto for a year and a half, only venturing outside for brief moments to find food.
As I witnessed the incredible account of the Jews secret life in hiding, I was struck by how powerful their story was. The journey of the Jews, whether told through the eyes of a frightened child watching in silence as their family is torn apart or through watching the Jews fragile existence endure when all hope seems lost, is truly inspiring.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Janet Tobias
Cast: Chris Nicola, Katalin Lábán, Saul Stermer, Sam Stermer, Sonia Dodyk, Sima Dodyk, Yetta Stermer, Sol Wexler,
How can life be found in the heart of impenetrable darkness? How does one hold on to hope in the depths of such complete and utter despair? In this powerful and inspiring documentary, Chris Nicola must ponder these questions and more as he embarks on a journey to illuminate the truth after discovering the remnants of a secret Jewish refuge hidden within a labyrinth of Ukranian caves.
The caves represented life to the Jews. Within the dark labyrinth of the grotto, the Jews were given the chance to keep their families together. The water that the cave yielded allowed the Jews to keep their fragile existence from being completely extinguished. Its dark caverns protected the Jews from the deadly forces that sought to destroy them. The walls of the cave allowed the Jews to keep the legacy of their family intact by preserving the names of the souls that were lost to the Germans and the lives that were saved by more than mere happenstance. The connection that the Jews shared with the caves remains intact because the Jews return to the caves to honor the place that kept them alive in their darkest moment.
One of the strongest themes woven through the film is family. The purpose of the Jews hiding in the cave was so they could hide from the invading Germans and keep their family together. Whether they were walking in the Nazi’s shadow to their deaths or they were able to remain alive in the protection of the cave, the Jews survived because their family bond was unbreakable. The Jews’ battle stems not only from hiding from the Germans but also from their constant struggle to survive. After their first refuge in the Verteba Cave is compromised, the Jews find a second cavern deeper in the earth to protect them from the Nazis. When the Jews are trapped in the grotto after they are literally buried alive, they do not surrender to death. Instead, they search through the darkness until they find a way back to the light. Living in almost total darkness, with barely enough food to sustain them, the Jews hid in their secret refuge at Priest’s Grotto for a year and a half, only venturing outside for brief moments to find food.
As I witnessed the incredible account of the Jews secret life in hiding, I was struck by how powerful their story was. The journey of the Jews, whether told through the eyes of a frightened child watching in silence as their family is torn apart or through watching the Jews fragile existence endure when all hope seems lost, is truly inspiring.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.