Ed-from-HI "whosoever saves a single life = shall be considered to have saved an entire world" the essence of this immortal statement was exemplified by the  'World' created within the little-known  'Shanghai Ghetto' becoming a strangely-miraculous haven-refuge for approximately 20,000 desperate Jews escaping relentless persecution, merciless concentration-camp detention and near certain death at the hands of the Nazis throughout most of Europe, during pitch-black WWII Epoch."Shanghai Ghetto" is a vitally important and historically-essential documentary by Dana Janklowicz-Mann and Amir Mann,  narrated by renowned actor Martin Landau (who passed-away only a few months ago).  Presented-documented mainly thru survivor-testimonials by articulate individuals who were children or teenagers during that late-1930s to mid-1940s time-period in Shanghai.  One of the most ironic aspects of the 'Shanghai Ghetto' is that at the tragic time when most nations of the World turned a blind-eye to Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler's mass-extermination, the 'Shanghai Ghetto' served as an 'under-the-radar' clandestine sanctuary allowing Jews to be covertly 'accepted' with no Visa, or legal documents necessary for entry. Once safely inside these Jews attempted to re-create a small degree of normalcy.As witnessed in this documentary, the basics of food, medicine, clean-water were scarce for both Jews and the average Chinese citizens living in Shanghai at the time suffering similar shared-hardships together. It is also quite important to note that the Jewish survivors interviewed make it clear they felt little to no degree of anti-Semitism living among the Chinese residents of Shanghai, and that many Jewish children quickly bonded with the Chinese children living in Shanghai.The most intriguing aspect is that this unlikely enclave of Jewish refuge/sanctuary was not specifically 'planned' or directly-sanctioned by any government.  It seemed to simply 'come-together' thru a miraculous combination of fortuitous unplanned events. Even though imperial-Japan was militarily 'in-charge' of the area which became the 'Shanghai Ghetto' situated in Hongkou District, Japanese administrators surprisingly did not specifically target Jews (i.e. even though allied with Axis-Germany, Japan did not stringently adhere to Nazi plans).The saddest part of the entire documentary is revealed towards finale, when the Jewish survivors of Shanghai recall soon after the end of WWII, first hearing about the near complete destruction the Holocaust had inflicted on the Jewish populations of Europe i.e. how nearly all their relatives (hailing from Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine/ Russia, et al) had been lost/murdered in the Shoah.  Ultimately reflecting that the 'Shanghai Ghetto' which seemed quite miserable at first glance,  in actuality proved to be a 'paradise' by providing the simple gift of Life.

hans_22_ My grandfather was a Jew in Shanghai during the holocaust. I have done a lot of research about the Jews in Shanghai and it is nice to see that this documentary was put together to inform people about this part of history that is not widely known. It is both touching and heartfelt, sad and liberating. I have always wondered exactly why China opened its doors to the Jews. I am thankful for all they did for my grandfather and thousands of other Jews. China's compassion has touched many generations and I feel indebted to the Chinese because of their kindness and understanding. This part of my heritage has sparked an interest for me about China and I will be teaching English there in a few months. I have traveled to China twice and have made many wonderful friends. The first time I went, I had a chance to go to Shanghai and I saw the memorial dedicated to the Jews of Shanghai. That trip is something I will always remember.

jspivack This film held my attention. It was very well done; the still photo's and moving pictures were well integrated with the narratives. This was a part of the "holocost" I was not famiiar with and as a result I did not feel that I had seen this before.

Ralph Michael Stein Documentaries about the Holocaust tend to fall into two classes. The first is the wide view of central events and personalities, subjects that very many people recognize. Intriguingly, a second class of film emerges from time to time: documentaries that educate by illuminating a thread of history relatively or even almost totally unknown to most. Such a film is Dana Janklowicz-Mann and Amir Mann's subtly powerful "Shanghai Ghetto," the story of frightened German and Austrian Jews who after "Kristallnacht" and before the borders were sealed found refuge in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, the great Chinese port.With documentary footage and well-edited interviews of men and women who trekked to Shanghai and now appear to live in comfort, as well as with commentary by several academics and narration by Martin Landau, the directors tell a fascinating story.As Western European countries, Great Britain and the U.S. fell over themselves expressing sympathy for the plight of Germany's Jews while insuring that few would find refuge within their respective nations' borders, Shanghai was a destination where, miraculously, anyone could debark from a ship without passport or visa. Shanghai before 7 December 1941 was an odd city, a metropolis where the Japanese freely and without compunction murdered and brutalized Chinese residents while respecting the international enclaves that enjoyed extra-territorial status from the days of the Opium Wars.Why the Japanese, in league with their Nazi partners, seemed to care little about the sudden influx of European Jews isn't clear. The film suggests that the Japanese had some sort of bizarre but fixed belief that the myths about Jewish hegemony over banks and industry would somehow benefit their Empire. I doubt that explanation has any validity. I suspect that at first the Japanese simply didn't much care about these refugees and then discovered they had to deal with them. After Pearl Harbor when both British and American nationals were interned the Jews dwelled in a twilight world with some restrictions but overall a remarkable degree of freedom.The interviewees describe harsh living conditions but it's clear almost from the first comments how relative that concept is. That many if not all the escapees lost an affluent or at least middle class lifestyle is certain. There was disease and insanitary conditions abounded but these were largely endemic to pre-Maoist China, not the result of ghettoization as in Eastern Europe. An Israeli professor and several of the elderly interviewees can't even concur as to whether the Japanese actually established a ghetto. The professor says they didn't and the former residents use the term "ghetto" repeatedly.There is a curious juxtaposition between the interviewees describing their travails and period footage and still photos showing a fairly vibrant Jewish community with music, art, literature and sports clubs. The Shanghai Jews were free to form their cultural groups and pursue their interests as they wished. This was not Theriesenstadt with its horrific Nazi-created Potemkin Village orchestra and drama company.Of course the uprooted refugees suffered hardship and a few of them on this film suddenly draw a sharp breath before a sob and tears interrupt the flow of their narrative. In one of my favorite Manhattan theaters, (the small Quad on 13th Street between 5th and 6th) the house was packed people running in age from about thirteen to their eighties. The impact of learning this chapter of Hitlerian monstrosity was palpable.Near the end of the film familiar stock footage of Nazi death camps and crematoria, replete with victims, is shown alternating with the interviewees' honest, to a degree anguished, reflection that, as several say, they were living in "paradise" compared to the many relatives they lost in the cauldron of evil. Or the survivors in Europe. Not until the war ended did the Shanghai refugees learn the fate of European Jewry.Whatever the relative scales of suffering by widely separated survivors, the producers/directors have added a unique chapter of Holocaust history to the archives. "Shanghai Jews" is a thoroughly engrossing work, complemented by the music of Sujin Nam and largely performed on the Chinese erhu.This film won't be shown in many venues but it ought to be widely televised and certainly made available for rental or purchase.9/10.