Mayfield Heights Resident's Holocaust Documentary to Premiere at Cedar Lee

Growing up in a family full of survivors, the Holocaust is a tragedy close to Mayfield Heights resident David Beckman's heart.

So close that he promised his 100-year-old mother, Ilona Beckman, that he would finish the Holocaust documentary he began working on in 2010. He wishes she lived to see the final product, White Rose Black Rose, but others will when it will be shown Aug. 18-20 at Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights.

"My two sisters, my brother, my father, my mother, they were all Holocaust survivors," Beckman said. "I've watched a lot of Holocaust documentaries, but I wanted mine to be a lot different than what I've seen in the past."

Beckman, whose family made it to the United States through a sponsor in 1950, first premiered a trailer of the film in 2011 at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.
In White Rose Black Rose, survivors recall memories and atrocities with little input from Beckman. They include people who were children at displacement camps and some who were separated from their families. Some had never discussed the Holocaust before Beckman's film.

"They just did it, no questions asked. They gave me all their stories, nothing held back.

"I just wanted to hear their experiences."

Visit Cedar Lee's website for more information.