A Showing of the documentary film Besa: The Promise, telling a never-before-told story of Albania during Nazi Occupation. Followed by a discussion of the film with Dr. Lisa Adeli
Documentary Film by JWM Productions, LLC
The never-before-told story of Albania – a small European country which opened its borders to shelter Jewish refugees, even as it endured a brutal Nazi occupation. It’s witnessed through the prism of two men joined together in a remarkable and unexpected quest: Norman H. Gershman, a renowned Jewish-American photographer determined to record the bravery and compassion of the Albanians; and Rexhep Hoxha, a Muslim-Albanian toy shop owner who sets out to return three precious books to the last surviving member of the Jewish family his father sheltered sixty years before. When these two men meet, an extraordinary and utterly unexpected personal drama is set in motion – one that bridges generations and religions…uniting fathers and sons…Muslims and Jews.
Discussant: Dr. Lisa Adeli, University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies
For more information CONTACT: Dr. Alison Jameson at ajameson@email.arizona.edu
