LONDON/PARIS — The producers behind Call Me by Your Name are joining forces once again for an animated documentary about Fredy Hirsch, a German-Jewish athlete and Holocaust victim who became a beacon of hope for children imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.
The project, currently titled The Fredy Hirsch Story, will be directed by British filmmaker Tom C J Brown, a BIFA nominee known for Christopher at Sea. The film marks the first animated feature from Paradise City, the London and Paris-based production company run by Emilie Georges and Naima Abed.
Oscar-winning producer Peter Spears (Nomadland) and Emmy-nominated Maor Azran (Buried) will co-produce the film. Spears previously collaborated with Georges and Abed on Call Me by Your Name and more recently on Drift, starring Cynthia Erivo.
The documentary will explore the life of Fredy Hirsch, an openly gay Jewish man who organized children’s education and cultural programming in the Terezin and Auschwitz camps during World War II. Using animation, the film aims to depict the imaginative world Hirsch created for the children, even in the face of horrific conditions.
“Fredy understood that the children needed more than just food and shelter. He gave them poetry, music, and a sense of wonder,” said Brown. “It’s an extraordinary privilege to bring his story to life, and animation offers a unique way to capture his larger-than-life spirit.”
The film will draw on original research by Jody Becker, a New York Times editor who uncovered Hirsch’s story in the early 1990s while reporting in Prague. It will also include historic audio interviews with Holocaust survivors. Hirsch’s niece, Rachel Masel, is working with the team as a consultant.
Georges and Abed said they were moved by Hirsch’s story, which they had never heard before. “We were deeply touched,” they said in a joint statement. “After falling in love with Tom C J Brown’s work, we knew he could capture the emotional depth and poetic language needed to tell this story. We’re thrilled to reunite with Peter Spears and help bring this beautiful film to global audiences.”
Brown has earned international acclaim for his animated shorts Teeth (2015) and Christopher at Sea (2022), with screenings at Sundance, SXSW, Annecy, and Outfest.
The film will shine a light on Hirsch’s legacy — a man who used art and compassion to protect and uplift children during one of history’s darkest times.
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