In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, ChaiFlicks (chaiflicks.com), a global streaming platform showcasing high-quality films and series centered on Jewish stories and culture, will premiere the animated film Survivor on YouTube and on ChaiFlicks for free for 24 hours on Tuesday, January 27. Starting January 28, the film will be available exclusively on the ChaiFlicks streaming platform.
The film details the true story of a 12-year-old Jewish boy’s journey through the Holocaust. A 30-minute interview with award-winning animator Zoom Rockman will also be made available for those wanting a deeper dive into the making of the hand-crafted film.
Survivor is inspired by the testimony of Holocaust survivor Ivor Perl BEM, and based on his novel Chicken Soup Under the Tree: A Journey to Hell and Back. The story follows young Ivor as he is taken from a small town in Hungary to the gates of Auschwitz, Kaufering, Allach and Dachau, witnessing the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust and the unbreakable bond between two brothers and their miraculous survival.
Perl began sharing his story publicly only in his later years, honoring his family’s memory and noting that “The Holocaust happened in broad daylight, in plain sight — with the world watching.”
Through Rockman’s visually striking, puppet-based animation, Survivor is an almost entirely handmade film, completed in under a year, featuring a score by composer Erran Baron Cohen (Sasha Baron Cohen’s brother) that amplifies its emotional impact.
“When I read Ivor’s story, I immediately began to visualize it as a film — one I could bring to life through my paper puppet animation to create something both powerful and accessible, especially for audiences who might not otherwise engage with this vital subject matter,” said Rockman. “I deliberately chose to tell Ivor’s story in a Gen Z–inspired style to ensure what happened remains present in the memory of rising generations.”
In addition to utilizing Perl’s book to document the story, Rockman also verified the historical accuracy of the events by consulting additional accounts from figures such as Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi. He also conducted on-site research at Auschwitz to ensure spatial accuracy in the film’s depictions.
“This is a profoundly moving and important film that we are honored to share with the world on such a meaningful day,” Neil Friedman, CEO of ChaiFlicks, stated in the announcement. “Stories like Survivor must be seen, remembered, and passed on to as many people as possible. We are deeply honored to provide a platform for this uniquely crafted account of a child’s Holocaust survival, making it accessible to audiences everywhere on YouTube and our platform at no cost on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.”
Survivor will be available to stream for free for 24 hours on Tuesday, January 27 via YouTube. The film will be added to the lineup on the ChaiFlicks streaming platform the next day.
Learn more about the film at suvivorfilm.com.
