At the end of March, Vienna’s Metro Kinokulturhaus was home to the Austrian premiere of “One Life” as part of the Jewish Film Festival – a movie about Nicholas Winton (played by Anthony Hopkins), who saved 669 children from the Nazis with the Kindertransport.
At the invitation of the Jewish Welcome Service, Nick Winton, the son of Nicholas Winton, visited Vienna to attend the premiere of “One Life” with a slew of guests of honor. He was joined by, among others, ambassador Lindsay Skoll (UK), ambassador David Roet (IL) and ambassador Jiří Sitler (CZ).
They all emphasized the excellent example set by “silent hero” Sir Nicholas and the importance, especially in today’s world, of standing up against anti-Semitism, racism and above all injustice and indifference. And they also reminded those present that this year marks the 85th anniversary of the dramatic Kindertransport operation.
“If something isn’t blatantly impossible, then there must be a way of doing it!” – this was the life motto of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, whose story is spectacularly portrayed by the movie. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Winton, at the time a young London stockbroker, managed to save 669 children from the Nazis. In December 1938, when a friend told him of the appalling conditions in the Czech refugee camps, he travelled to Prague without a moment’s hesitation to get an idea of the situation for himself, and very soon after this he initiated an unprecedented rescue mission.
The movie also describes how, even 50 years later, Winton was haunted by the fate of the children he was unable to rescue. Only once the BBC television show tracked down the surviving “Winton’s children” and shed light on this incredible story was he able to face his sorrow and feelings of guilt.
