The Optimists

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WIDTH="575"><div> Rating</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Not Rated </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Director</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Jacky Comforty</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>The meaning of humanism</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Starring</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> The People of Bulgaria </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Political and military oppression has a way of hiding stories on topics that we think have been told so many times that there is nothing new to say. Currently on the film festival circuit is the documentary "Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary," a film about the German dictator's last days as told by his young, impressionable assistant in her dying days as an old woman. While that film is a definite downer, "The Optimists," as the name so aptly implies, is a celebration of the human spirit. It is a story not only about the 50,000 Jews who were slated for extermination and ultimately saved but also of the Bulgarian (non Jewish) citizens and politicians who stood in the face of Nazism to prevent what was certain deportation and death of their friends.</div> <bR> <div> Hitler came to power in 1933 and soon after books were being burned. Later, radios were taken so that it would be difficult for Jews to know what was going on in the "outside" world. Prior films on the Holocaust document the step by step process to the "final solution"-death camps. This film poises us on the "slippery slope," where you wake up one day and realize that your worse fears have not so suddenly become a reality. </div> <bR> <div>  Jacky and Lisa Comforty, residents of Evanston, have worked on the film for over 12 years. They have collected 155 hours of interviews, over 5,000 photos of pre-war and wartime Bulgaria, many hours of archival footage as well as documents, artifacts and sound recordings. Jacky found more than 2,000 photos from his deceased grandmother, stored away in plastic bags and shoe boxes; and the archival rolling and still film of the era gives the film a unique personal touch.</div> <bR> <div> As Hitler conquered Poland and France, and other regions, Bulgaria became their ally, in part because they were Germany's main trading partner. </div> <bR> <div> We know about citizens that hid Jews but what is striking about this story is that because of a history of integration of Jews in Bulgaria, the non Jewish Bulgarians did things such as participate in spontaneous marches of protest in numbers exceeding 10,000. They also urged their politicians to confront the installed Nazi leaders, which resulted in the delay of planned deportations and exterminations long enough for the war to come to an end.</div> <bR> <div> The key question is why would they do this in the face of so much raw power? The often scoffed at notion of integration and diversity appears to be the answer. Jews and Bulgarians, among other things, celebrated each other's religious holidays. They had friendships that mattered. There existed a mentality similar to that Americans have regarding the United We Stand concept following the events of 9/11. A key factor that allowed that to happen, was the history of Bulgaria. They had been under oppressive rule from the Turks for over 500 years and had come to believe that "…everyone is entitled to have their own faith." This country had been independent for only 50 years yet they had developed a sense of true loyalty to their friends and believed in the concept of humanism for all. They respected diversity and theirs is a lesson to learn.</div> <bR> <div> The World Premier of "The Optimists" will be at the Wilmette Theater starting today. This is a film that should not be missed. The message is so powerful that this is one of the best films of the year.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> George O. Singleton  © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>Reelmoviec@aol.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>