By Terri Spilman
“A life can be a nightmare but art can be a dream.” – Frank “Misa” Grunwald
Misa’s Fugue, a documentary film about the extraordinary story of Holocaust survivor and Fishers resident Frank “Misa” Grunwald recently received two Mid-Atlantic Region Emmy Award nominations in the categories of “Documentary” and “Screenwriting.”
The film was made by a unique creative collaboration of high school students and staff from Fleetwood Area Senior High School in Fleetwood, PA as part of a Holocaust education project. Over 200 students and ten of their teachers worked together to write the script, create art and score the film in which Grunwald now 81, mesmerizingly tells the story of his incredible 4-year ordeal as a victim under Nazi persecution and how he used his creativity and passion for art as a tool for survival. Grunwald also discusses adjusting to life after captivity as an Industrial Designer, Educator and Artist.
Grunwald and his wife attended the awards ceremony in Philadelphia along with the film’s producer, creators. While the film did not take away any Emmys, since its premiere in April 2012, it has been shown around the world, including official screenings in Australia, Canada and for the staff and volunteers of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
It has also caught the eye of numerous film festival selection committees and last year was named “Best Documentary” at the Zagreb (Croatia) Jewish Film Festival. It has also garnered five “Telly Awards” and a Communicator Award.
“A lot of professional people have seen the movie and they like it – they respect it,” commented Grunwald. “We didn’t make the movie to get awards, obviously. We made it to generate some educational power around the country.”
Since its inception, over 3,000 copies of the film have been distributed free of charge to educators across the country for use in the classroom including Fishers High School and Fishers Junior High.
The film is making a difference according to the film’s producer and Holocaust educator Jennifer Goss. “I’ve had kids talk about how powerful it is to view the Holocaust through the lens of one person’s story – what Frank experienced. It makes it easier to understand and comprehend because they see how it impacted an individual, not only during that time period, but their life after the fact.”
Grunwald is a frequent lecturer on his experience and his dream is to translate the film into several different languages so it can have not only an impact nationally, but globally.
For more information on Misa’s Fugue, visit www.misasfugue.com.
