Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Due to copyright restrictions, this video cannot be accessed from outside Australia.

Clip description

Mike Lewis was an English serviceman filming the liberation of the Belsen concentration camp. He talks about his own horrifying experience of the aftermath, and his feelings about the Germans.

Curator’s notes

The stock footage is extraordinary, and horrifying, but so is Mike’s conclusion that this sort of thing could happen in any country under the right set of circumstances.

Running the black and white stock footage without dramatic music is extremely effective, as is the interview footage with Mike speaking directly to camera. He is articulate and thoughtful, and obviously profoundly affected by the experiences he describes.