On September 3rd, Warsaw's Iluzjon cinema hosted a screening of the documentary "Aktion Reinhardt," which chronicles the extermination of Jews in the General Government and the Białystok region. The film was produced by the Warsaw Ghetto Museum.
The screening of the film took place to a full house and concluded with a meeting with director Michał Szymanowicz, led by Dr. Jacek Konik from the Scientific and Research Department of the Municipal Museum in Warsaw. Viewers questioned the director about the making of the film, the selection of witness accounts, and the emotions he experienced while working on such a difficult topic. The school teachers present emphasized the critical need for this educational resource.
Operation Reinhardt was carried out by Nazi Germany as part of the so-called Final Solution to the Jewish Question in 1942–1943. It was during this time that the extermination camps at Sobibór, Treblinka, and Bełżec were established. Within a dozen or so months, nearly 1,8 million people lost their lives – the majority of them Polish Jews.
Michał Szymanowicz's film is part of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of Operation Reinhardt – it is the first Polish documentary depicting these dramatic events. The premiere screening at the Iluzjon cinema took place as part of the 19th edition of the Singer's Warsaw Festival.
Photo: Robert Wilczyński
