Cultural memory and the holocaust : history, theology and cinema

Abstract

The study is concerned with the concept of cultural memory in relation to the Holocaust. Seventy years have passed since this most tragic of events, but through continuous historical education, ongoing theological reflections, as well as various media representations, the Holocaust remains imprinted in our collective consciousness. This study takes a look at the historical, theological and cinematic contributions that have been instrumental in recalling the event of the Holocaust. Moreover, it will highlight the role that cinema, in particular, plays in the shaping of cultural memory. To this end, the study focuses on the movie The Round Up (2010), which is about Jo Weisman, who together with his family, is sent to a concentration camp but later manages to escape. The film captures a fragile reality suffered by innocent children living in a world dominated by evil and one in which survival seems impossible. In this manner, the study attempts to show how cinematic representations portraying stories of young children are effective at eliciting a sense of deep compassion and sorrow and at highlighting the horrors of the Holocaust by juxtaposition of innocence with evil. The outcome of this study illustrates that cinema leaves a more lingering effect on the consciousness of viewers, which guarantees the survival of cultural memory concerning the Holocaust.