Postwar: Christmas in the US
Creator(s)
- Gerrit Verdoner (Camera Operator)
- Otto Verdoner
- Yoka Verdoner
- Francisca Verdoner Kan
Biographical History
The Verdoner Family - Gerrit and Hilde Verdoner, their children Yoka (b.1934), Francisca (b.1937) and Otto (b.1939) - were Jewish. In May 1940, when the Germans overran the Netherlands, Nazi decrees aimed specifically at Jews forced Gerrit out of his business and Yoka out of her second grade class. When the Nazis commandeered their home, the Verdoners went to live with Gerrit's parents in Amsterdam. Shortly thereafter, Gerrit and Hilde decided to place the children in hiding. Their foresight enabled the children to survive and save these family films. Hilde entered Westerbork on December 18, 1942, while Gerrit had a job with the Jewish Council. On September 29, 1943, after the collapse of the Jewish Council and Gerrit's narrow escape from the Germans, Gerrit found refuge in a hideout on a farm. On January 8, 1944 Hilde was sent to Auschwitz. After the war, Gerrit managed to reunite with his children and other surviving family members. The Verdoners emigrated to the US in 1946.
Scope and Content
EXT, MS, two unidentified women walking away from camera, their backs eventually face the camera. Cut to MS, man and young girl walking along a street, they pass several parked cars, before getting into a car, there is an unidentified woman there as well- she waves to the camera. MS, young girl dressed in a red snowsuit, runs out of a large house and toward the camera. She runs back into the house and a young boy comes out, without a coat, indicates that he is cold and goes back inside the house with the young girl. MS, girl in the red snow suit walking through the streets of an unidentified town. Pedestrians walking in shopping district, cars parked on the streets. It is Christmas-time as there are Christmas trees on the street. Young girl stops in the window of a candy store, a sign in the window reads: "CHOCOLATES". Pan of storefront as child enters shop, the sign above the shop reads: "MIMI's CANDY SHOP". VS, young girl about town, she enters a bakery and comes out with a small box, she returns to the candy store. Cut to MS, elderly woman and another woman exiting a building. Man and others follow, they walk towards their car, waving to the camera. VS, men and women exiting large house seen earlier. Some walk arm in arm. They get into parked cars, a pan of license plate- it is a Virginia license plate. The people get in the car a drive away.
Subjects
- BUILDINGS
- WINTER
- FAMILIES
- POSTWAR
- STREETS
- CIVILIANS
- SHOPS
- UNITED STATES
- TOWNS
- WOMEN
- CHILDREN
- AUTOMOBILES
- HOLIDAYS (CHRISTMAS)
Places
- , United States
Genre
- Film
- Amateur.