THROUGH CHILDREN'S EYES

Through Children’s Eyes is a poignant 45-minute documentary that honors the memory—and enduring hope—of the children of the concentration camp at Terezin through music, poetry, and art. At the heart of the film is a once-in-a-lifetime concert, performed in the camp’s historic Attic Theatre—where Jewish prisoners once gathered to create beauty in defiance of despair. The film traces the extraordinary journey of a musical work commissioned by Mark Saltzman and composed by award winning composer David Shukiar, which sets the poetry of Terezin’s imprisoned children to original music, accompanied by their drawings and paintings. These young voices, full of longing, resilience, and astonishing hope, speak across generations from one of the darkest chapters in history. First performed at a Yom HaShoah commemoration in Los Angeles in 2008, the piece ignited a dream: to return it to the very place where the art and poetry were born. After years of effort, that dream became reality. On November 19, 2024, the voices of Terezin’s children echoed once more, in the first-ever performance of the piece inside the camp’s Attic Theatre. Directed by Oscar nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael and filmmaker Harry Patramanis, the documentary captures the emotional resonance of that event, along with rare footage filmed throughout the camp and interviews with the creators. Through Children’s Eyes is both a work of remembrance and a testament to the enduring spirit of Jewish creativity, identity, and hope—even in the face of unthinkable circumstances. It preserves the voices of the lost and transforms their legacy into a living tribute for generations to come.