The documentary ” Portugal, Freedom Trampoline” was presented in Lisbon with the presence of approximately 130 attendees.
Following the screening, a discussion ensued with guest historians and academics Irene Flunser Pimentel, a researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History at the Faculty of Social and Humanities at the University of New Lisbon, and Avraham Milgram, Doctor of Philosophy and historian at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem—an authority on the memory of Holocaust martyrs and heroes, as well as the Jewish Pavilion Exhibition at Auschwitz on the 27th.
The Jewish Community of Lisbon supported the production of the exclusive documentary film “Portugal, Trampoline for Freedom” by Ary Diesendruck. The film, distributed free of charge (with the exception of subtitles in specific languages), will also be disseminated through copies and remittances to institutions and museums dedicated to the Holocaust.
Currently, there are 60 to 70 such institutions and museums, primarily in the United States of America, Europe, and Latin America, ensuring a broad reach in the educational realm.
The film delves into the passage of Jews through Portugal during World War II, presenting frames of unique dimensions:
- Historical aspects, exploring the experiences of Jews subjected to the strong Inquisition and expulsion.
- Political dimensions, addressing the ambivalence of a country under dictatorship yet not anti-Semitic, valuing a real-politik stance of neutrality.
- Portrayal of Lisbon in 1940.
- Social dimensions, depicting the multiplication of a small Jewish Community in response to extraordinary circumstantial demands and emotional conditions of refugees.
- Sociability of the Portuguese people, portrayed as receptive, caring, and willing to understand and adapt to different cultures and customs.
