Escape to the Rising Sun

A film by Diane Perelsztejn

Escape to the Rising Sun documents the experience of 20.000 Jews who fled Nazi persecutions in Europe and took refuge in Shanghai, China, during World War II. For several thousands of them, escape meant travelling through the Soviet Union and Japan before eventually reaching Shanghai. Throughout the Japanese occupation the refugees were completely cut off from the outside world. After the liberation, they began leaving for new homes in Europe, the United States, Israel and Australia.

Year:
1990
Length:
95 Minutes
Version(s):
FR, EN
Director(s):
Diane Perelsztejn
Writer(s):
Diane Perelsztejn
Producer(s):
Willy Perelsztejn
Camera:
Guido van Rooy
Sound:
Daniel Pilatte, Sofica Nauwelaerts
Music:
Christophe Barwinek
Editing:
Ewald Wels
With:
Jules-Henri Marchant

A production by Les Films de la Mémoire, ZDF, RTBF

With the support of: French Community of Belgium, Hoso-Bunka Foundation, Japan Foundation, Banpaku Foundation, Rich Foundation, BABEL – European Fund for Audiovisual Multilingualism, City College – The City University of New York, Memorial Foundation for the Jewish Culture, Centre National de la Cinématographie

Additional Information

Career

Festivals and Awards
Institut International des Droits de l’Homme - Festival du Film - StrasbourgFrancePrix de la Ville de Strasbourg & Prix des Universités
Jewish Film FestivalAustralia 
San Francisco Jewish Film FestivalUSA 
Southampton Jewish Film FestivalUnited Kingdom 
Broadcasts
ARTEFrance
GLOBOBrazil
PBSUSA
RTBFBelgium
SBSAustralia
ZDFGermany
Watch Escape to the Rising Sun on Vimeo

The Film

Critiques Cinématographiques

Extraits de Presse

Sunday Herald Sun

One of cinema's finer achievements - a rare glimpse of compassion, courage and survival.

Anonyme
1990

Australian Jewish News

In Escape to the Rising Sun, Belgian filmmaker Diane Perelsztejn has added an authoritative visual essay to the small body of work on the mid-century Shanghai Jews...

Peter Kohn
1990

JFI.ORG

Le mérite de ce documentaire consiste à retracer de manière très vivante un des chapitres les moins connus du sauvetage de Juifs européens des persécutions nazies.

MENDEL GOLDSTEIN
1990
Les images du Film

Galerie