It's a story of two people on opposite sides of the planet, with nothing in common, brought together by a suitcase. A suitcase belonging to Hana Brady, a young girl from Czechoslovakia -- one of millions of victims of the Holocaust.

 

Hana's Suitcase" was a story originally told on CBC Radio by producer Karen Levine. She turned the story into a book, which has been translated into forty languages. Then it became a stage play, of the same title, written by Emil Sher. And tonight, a new film by Larry Weinstein entitled "Inside Hana's Suitcase" will be presented at the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto. The documentary follows Hana's older brother George Brady, who escaped death and the Nazis, and built a life for himself here in Canada. It follows Fumiko Ishioka, the Director of the Holocaust Education Resource Centre in Tokyo, Japan. And it relates what happened after Fumiko contacted George to tell him that she had a precious piece of luggage.
George Brady and Fumiko Ishioka are both in Toronto for the Hot Docs film festival, and they joined us in our studio.
Listen to Carol Off's interview with George Brady and Fumiko (originally aired on April 30, 2009).

(runs 20:46)


Related links:

Japan Holocaust Education Resource Center

Hot Docs Festival

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz - Birkenau