Voices in the Void is the first part of Humanity in Action’s new animated documentary film trilogy TRACES-Portraits of Resistance, Survival and Resolve.
The trilogy was co-produced by Humanity in Action’s Executive Director Judith Goldstein and Irene Braam, Executive Director of the Bertelsmann Foundation.
To organize a screening of Voices in the Void, please click here.
“The eyes told the story. One grasps the terror of the Nazi threat as well as the joy of liberation in the faces of the characters. Never realized the movement in animation could amplify the story so well… Amazing how much history and feeling can be absorbed by viewers when pros perpetuate these animation techniques. I had no problem grasping the reality, terror, and relief of it all.” Helen Ferrulli, Art historian and curator
Voices in the Void tells the story of the Melchior family in occupied Denmark in 1943 and their escape to Sweden, thanks to the assistance of their Danish compatriots, particularly clergy and fishermen.
Pushed to the brink, theirs is a story of rescue, return, and compassion. The 14-year-old son, Bent Melchior, later became Chief Rabbi of Denmark. He narrates his own story along with the Danish actress Ina-Miriam Rosenbaum. This animation gives a new kind of visual life to this important chapter of history, bringing it to new generations.
Seventy-five years after the fall of Nazi Germany, academics, intellectuals, artists, and everyday people continue to grapple with the immensity of the Shoah. This film illuminates profound contrasts that remain unresolved inhuman nature: lightness and darkness, beauty and evil, and the humanity that is inherent in both. Stark images of death camps in Eastern Europe underscore the deep void of the six million souls lost. Yet, fleeting moments of bravery and generosity, demonstrated by Danish resistance leaders, rescuers and Jewish survivors, remind us of our capacity for courage and compassion even under the most harrowing circumstances.
Voices in the Void brings those moments to life. Despite the existential risks, thousands of Danes refused to abandon their Jewish neighbors. Later on, many expressed that they did not view themselves as heroes, but rather as regular people who did what they had to do. Their stories resonate today as we need to look to those who will protect the vulnerable and provide examples of decency, dignity, and courage.
Organize a screening of Voices in the Void
Voices in the Void is available in English and in Danish, both narrated by Rabbi Bent Melchior. Subtitles are available in English, Arabic, German and Hebrew.
To access the educational workshop prepared by our partners at the Ghetto Fighter’s House to accompany Voices in the Void, please click here.
Voices in the Void was selected for the 10th annual American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, which ran from March 26 through April 4, 2021. Teddy Grouya, the festival’s director, chose Voices in the Void as one of eight films he recommends to viewers.
The film was also chosen as an official selection for the prestigious LA Shorts International Film Festival 2021, the Hayah International Short Film Festival of Panama, where it received an honorable mention for raising historical awareness, the Copenhagen Jewish Film Festival, the Viborg Festival of Animation and the Austin Jewish Film Festival.
Humanity in Action’s new animated documentary trilogy TRACES-Portraits of Resistance, Survival and Resolve includes the films Voices in the Void, Two Trees in Jerusalem and My Father’s War.
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the rescue of the Danish Jews of 1943, the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum has launched an interactive educational workshop to accompany Humanity in Action's animated documentary Voices in the Void.
The rescue of Danish Jews in October 1943 to Sweden has served as the inspiration for the inception of Humanity in Action. Judy Glickman Lauder’s photographs in Beyond the Shadows document the horrific sites of the Holocaust, while telling the uplifting story of the Danish Rescue. Founder and CEO Judith Goldstein contributed this written piece to that book.
We are thrilled to announce that our animated short film "Voices in the Void" is an official selection for the American LA Shorts International Film Festival. This year, the program was available online, streaming on demand virtually from July 1 to July 31.
We are thrilled to announce that our animated short film "Voices in the Void" is an official selection for the esteemed American Documentary and Animation Film Festival. The 10th Annual AmDocs Film Fest took place from March 26-April 4th, 2021.
We are thrilled to announce that our animated short film "Voices in the Void" is an official selection for the Hayah International Short Film Festival of Panama. This year, the program was available in person in the Cinépolis El Dorado theater in Panama.