The U.S. and the Holocaust

A sobering, meticulously researched documentary that confronts uncomfortable truths with moral urgency and deep emotional weight.

Created by

Ken Burns, Lynn Novick

Genres

Documentary

Starring

Peter Coyote, Daniel Mendelsohn, Peter Hayes

Tagline

A history to be reckoned with.

Overview

Americans consider themselves a 'nation of immigrants', but as the catastrophe of the Holocaust unfolds in Europe, the U.S. prove unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate refuge seekers. Through riveting firsthand testimony of witnesses and survivors who as children endured persecution, violence and flight as their families tried to escape Hitler, this three-part documentary series delves deeply into the tragic human consequences of public indifference, bureaucratic red tape and restrictive quota laws in America. Did the nation fail to live up to its ideals? This is a history to be reckoned with.

How it feels

Dark, bleak, melancholic and earnest. Measured and demanding.

About

Immigration, race, politics, morality

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)