Erik Hirschhorn (Mexico ’15), Filmmaker
This month we are proud to feature Erik Hirschhorn, an alumnus from Marcha de la Vida Mexico. Inspired by his experience on the March of the Living, Erik went on to direct and produce a short Holocaust film, entitled Standpoint, to serve as testimony and witness to future generations about what he experienced.
In 2015, my junior year of high school, I knew what my old classmates back in Mexico were about to experience the March of the Living. I approached my old school in Mexico as well as some directors from March of the Living Mexico and made a request to travel together with my old classmates to the 25th March of the Living. My high school agreed to let me travel with the caveat that I make up all of the lost work, and also put together a presentation regarding my experience to my classmates upon my return.
Click on the video player to watch the trailer
I wrote and directed a short-film called Standpoint. It is about of a Jewish ballerina trying to escape Nazi-occupied Poland to get to American Ballet auditions in Prague in order to save her family from the hands of war. Standpoint went on to complete a very successful festival run and got multiple awards in international film festivals.
When I look back on the March of the Living, of course, I remember the atrocities I learned about, but what stays with me most is the feeling of community and love for all those people who were there to march and remember. Most importantly I take one thing with me: we must celebrate life.
