74
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonPhiladelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonKean inherited these subjects from his earlier documentary Swimming in Auschwitz, and has said that gender informs the film – the women are particularly attuned to the emotional nuance of the survival story, which comes through beautifully.
- 80Village VoiceSerena DonadoniVillage VoiceSerena DonadoniThe structure of After Auschwitz may be simple (talking heads and archival footage), but the cumulative effect of six women revealing the physical, psychological, and emotional toll taken on Holocaust survivors is a powerful testament to individual humanity emerging from inhuman horrors.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckChronicling the lives of the same six women survivors after the end of the war, After Auschwitz proves an inspiring testament to the indomitability of the human spirit.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreIn focusing on the lives lived AFTER living through a genocide, co-writer/director Kean has made a most accessible documentary, one built around compelling characters giving eyewitness testimony to both the worst moments in human history, and some of the most inspiring.
- 75Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerThe film’s thesis is that the struggle to survive did not end with the camps. Each of the women profiled recounts, with varying degrees of intensity, the difficulties in creating a “normal” life in a world where the concept of “home” can no longer fully resonate.
- 70The New York TimesKen JaworowskiThe New York TimesKen JaworowskiJon Kean, the director, chose the material wisely and doesn’t shy from severe images. He and his team also have good ears for anecdotes.
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLos Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenKean's perceptive film does an effective job of keeping their moving, lucid observations vitally alive.
- 63Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanAfter Auschwitz also addresses more mundane subjects as well: making a wedding dress from leftover parachute silk, emigrating to America, finding jobs, buying cars, registering to vote. The smallest things become imbued with an importance out of proportion to their significance to the rest of us.