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Survivors
gather in Gdynia for Wilhelm Gustloff
documentary
September 9, 2005
wilhelmgustloff.com
For
one week near the end of August 2005, some very special
people congregated in Gdynia Poland. It has been
just over 60 years since Eva Rothschild-Dorn, Heinz
Schön, and Horst Woit beat 1 in 10 odds of
survival during the greatest single maritime disaster of
all time - the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.
Gdynia,
known as Gotenhafen during most of World War II, is the
Baltic port town where the former cruise ship turned
escape ship embarked on its journey on January 30, 1945 -
away from the advancing Soviet troops. Packed with
an estimated 10,500 passengers, it was sunk by a by a
rogue Russian submarine only hours after departure.
Only 1,230 survived.
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from
right to left: Heinz Schön, Horst Woit,
Eva Rothschild-Dorn and her daughter Connie |
At
the helm of this project is Marcus
Kolga of Realworld Pictures. He feels honoured to have these three important survivors actively
participating in the project - especially because the
film's emphasis is on the human side of this relatively unknown
tragedy and its reverberations in society.
The
production schedule was aggressive and rewarding.
Numerous locations included the actual site of the sinking
on the Baltic, piers and shipyards around
Gdynia, the boyhood town of Horst Woit,
and a freshwater lagoon that served as a precarious ice
bridge to safety for many refugees during early 1945.
Great
weather in Gdynia and its surrounding area ensured that tight
timelines were no barrier to obtaining excellent footage.
Professionals like award-winning cinematographer Zoe
Dirse and audio engineer Jacek Zakrzewski made
the results all the more effective.
Author
and maritime historian Claes-Göran Wetterholm added
invaluable perspective and commentary. This is not
Wetterholm's first time with the survivors. Among
other encounters,
he was present ten years ago for the 50th Anniversary
gathering of the Wilhelm Gustloff survivors.
Eva's daughter Connie, provided a constant source
of strength and grace. David Krawczyk of wilhelmgustloff.com was
privileged
to be present as a consultant and assistant to the
production.
After
a farewell dinner and warm-hearted goodbyes, production
shifted to St. Petersburg and Berlin. Work continues
in the Toronto area. The
film - official title pending - is estimated for release in the
Fall of 2006.
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