STORYLINE: “Bau, Artist at War” is the extraordinary true story of Joseph Bau, a man who defied the darkness of the Holocaust with art, humor, and an unbreakable spirit. A gifted artist and master forger, Joseph risked his life to save others, using his talent to create false documents that helped fellow prisoners escape certain death. But in the depths of despair, he discovered something even more powerful…love. In the Plaszow concentration camp, amid relentless brutality, Joseph met Rebecca – a woman whose courage matched his own. Their secret wedding, held in the very heart of hell itself, was a defiant act of love in the face of unimaginable horror – an event later immortalized in Schindler’s List. Years later, when Joseph is called to testify against the sadistic Nazi officer who tormented him, he is forced to relive the horrors of his past. But through it all, he draws strength from the love that saved him, the art that sustained him, and the unyielding will that kept him alive. A gripping war drama, a daring espionage thriller, and one of the greatest love stories of our time, “Bau, Artist at War” is a testament to the power of resilience, the triumph of the human spirit, and the unbreakable bonds that even war could not destroy. (IMDb)

   There are events that mark time in history.  The Covid pandemic being the most recent. Cinena has documented and will continue to document these historical markers. The holocaust is one of the most well documented markers with films such as Schindler’s List (1993), Life is Beautiful (1998), The Pianist (2002), and Woman in Gold (2015).  Bau, Artist at War is the latest film in the linage of holocaust films.  

   The film tells two stories, using a non linear storyline. One storyline is a testimony that leads to the trail of one if the nazis in the concentration camp while the other, and main, story line follows the events of the  concentration camp mentioned in the synopsis.  

    Showing survival during the holocaust does not make Bau, Artist at War a unique film. What makes it a unique film is the love story within the concentration camp.  I can site films, such as Life is Beautiful, where love is brought into the camos but I can’t recall one where love between two strangers is found in one.

    The films continues its story of hope as Bau, works with Oskar Schindler.  It is hard to separate this portion of the film from the incredible film Steven Spielberg made, Schindler’s List.  These events were portrayed better in the 1993 feature. 

   Bau, Artist at War is a feel good film.  It is a story if triumph, and that is displayed throughout the film. 

    A story of triumph about a dark subject can be a good thing. 

    Until next time I will see you at the movies!