Ken Burns, the documentarian famous for his films on topics ranging from baseball to the Civil War, is ready to release his latest documentary. In “Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War,” Burns follows the real-life story of Waitstill and Martha Sharp, two Americans who left behind their lives and children to rescue refugees of World War II. The couple traveled to Europe, where for over two years they worked to save hundreds of refugees fleeing the Nazi regime. Martha stayed even longer than her husband, leaving her own young children alone with their father, to lead rescue missions for children who could not leave Europe with their parents.
The film is co-directed by Artemis Jukousky, the grandson of the Sharps. Tom Hanks and Marina Goldman will perform the voice-overs for Waitstill and Martha, respectively, and the story is told through written letters and first-hand accounts from the now adult child refugees who were rescued by the couple.
At a White House event, Burns and Jukousky previewed the film, which was followed by a panel discussion comparing the refugee crisis of 1939 to the current refugee crisis. In just the short clips I got to see, I could tell it’s going to be a very emotional, but educational and inspiring movie. It airs Tuesday, September 20th at 9/8 Central on PBS. Even if you’re not a documentary buff like me, it’s definitely one worth watching.
In the meantime, you can check out the trailer here!