At a time when it sometimes seems that more things in the world are going wrong than right, it's refreshing to see a film that so fully depicts the characteristic of friendship, which can flourish in the most difficult of circumstances.

In the 1940's, at the height of the Holocaust, non-Jewish Bulgarians protested in the streets and urged their politicians to not deport the Jewish population of approximately 50,000. Jacky Comforty's documentary film "The Optimists" tells why this occurred, and why their efforts were successful, with interviews and extensive never seen before film footage and photographs. The captivating film is the result of over twelve years of research. Over 160 hours of film were shot, and edited to this 90 minute documentary. It took over five years of work just to scan in the photographs.

Those who think that individuals don't make a difference will realize that they are wrong. "The Optimists" is an oral history that preserves the culture of the Bulgarians from 60 years ago. Making this film was a departure for Jacky as his background is in comedy. It is pointed out in the film that Jews were not the only ones killed by Hitler and his troops, but Gypsies and those considered intellectuals, and many others as well, were targeted for extermination. There was no room for dissent or diversity.

Comforty believes that "dehumanization is a necessary step before you exterminate someone. "Humanization is part of the healing." He goes on to say, "Revenge is not a remedy". We are "all capable of doing terrible things." Jews in Bulgaria were only 1% of the population. They were "not hated" and were an "included minority." These gems of observation and wisdom can be used today on a personal level as well as globally.

The common thread apparent among the individuals who took action to protect their friends, was to become educated and to have respect for the rights for all human beings. Neighbors washed away defamatory signs off buildings at night; teachers admitted Jewish students to their school, under the threat that they might be closed.

In Bulgaria, Jews were seen as "people of the land" and the "Germans were the strangers." Comforty believes that "It's important to have role models who are not trying to be heroes."

The key question that people tend to ask after seeing the film is how can we prevent this type of atrocity from happening again? If a country has an environment that allows "a tradition of tolerance," the foundation is there for friendship to be something other than superficial. In some countries, Jews were relegated to certain positions, such as tax collectors, which set them up to be hated and stereotyped.

A key question is why so many ordinary citizens would act so courageously 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 major factor that allowed this respect and these friendships to flourish, 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." The 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.