For The Living is the story of a bike ride out of Auschwitz in honor of Marcel Zielinski who walked from the camp to Krakow during the Second World War in order to find his family. The idea was to illuminate the increasing number of dehumanizing acts that have led to an increasing number of genocides that are happening throughout the world. The idea that the ride would mirror Marcel’s walk from darkness to light.
This is a tough film. It's not so much the story of the ride or the people that makes the film a tough watch, rather it is the films more serious side- We are constantly being reminded of the darkness that has resulted in centuries of massacres. The darkness never leaves us and makes it hard to embrace the light that has the riders driving across Europe. The film left me saddened. There is too much death and destruction and no real effort to actually change people’s attitude that whole sale slaughter is not okay. (I mean have you seen the actual state of America today?)
Clearly I was moved…probably in the wrong way according to the filmmakers. However even if that’s the case it’s an important reaction since the film makes clear that we are damning ourselves by perpetuating an unending cycle of violence since the darkness can envelop us anywhere.
Recommended.
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