Exhumation of corpses of Soviet civilians by German POWs
Creator(s)
- Central State Film and Photo Archive of Ukraine
Scope and Content
Exhumation of corpses of the Soviet civilians by German POWs. Woman, stands to the side of the pit, hands clasped, watching as they take out a body, and crying (possibly her husband or son). VS of soldiers digging up graves. The woman who was crying before appears again, in a different shot, MCU, she is being interviewed by someone behind the camera, and, with her hands clasped she explains her story to the camera and continues to sob. Soldiers look on, standing behind this woman. Pan, scores of bodies laid out, quick cut to another elderly woman speaking, she remains on screen for a fraction of a second [seems to be a shot from an interview done postwar, possibly in the 1960s or 1970s-may have been transferred by mistake]. Translation of Russian narration & dialogue: [A woman is mourning] "Oh, God! What did they do?" [Voice of another woman from the footage taken much later than the previous piece.] "I came here to honor you. I remember you wearing striped shirts like sailors..." [Back again to the first mourning woman, interviewed by someone behind the camera]. "Whom, in your family, did the Germans kill?" "My son. He was 28 years old." [Man's voice behind the camera.] "Here is what you Germans have done. Dig it now!" [Another woman's voice] "When I saw them passing our street. They were going..." [Abrupt]
Note(s)
There is some question whether or not this is indeed Majdanek, further research is needed to identify this location. There is footage in this story that was obviously shot much later than the 1946 production date listed for this record.
Subjects
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY
- CORPSES
- POWS (GERMAN)
- POWS
- WOMEN
- UKRAINE
- EXHUMATIONS
- ATROCITIES
Places
- , Unknown
- , Ukraine
Genre
- Documentary.
- Film