Latest News
No Asylum is currently airing on the following platforms:
Posted 17th Jul in News
How dedicated YIVO volunteer, Estelle Guzik, came across Otto Frank's letters on which the No Asylum documentary is based
No Asylum pays tribute to Otto Frank's persistence and determination to get his family out of Europe.
There is another story of persistence and determination that underlies how this new information about Otto Frank was discovered. Estelle Guzik was always interested in genealogy and the preservation of family history - and in helping other genealogists find the resources that would yield clues about their families. In fact, in 2003, Estelle published the definitive guide to genealogical and biographical resources in New York.
When Estelle learned that YIVO (Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut or Yiddish Scientific Institute) had received boxes and boxes of HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) immigration case files from the war years, she knew this was a treasure trove of information for people who wanted to research their family histories. But those boxes were inaccessible to the public - they sat in a warehouse in New Jersey gathering dust.
So Estelle got to work. She volunteered to spearhead the digitizing of an index to all those records, box by box. She recruited a team of 12-15 volunteers from the Jewish Genealogical Society to work with her, and in a small office, they meticulously entered the data into a database. It was time-consuming and careful work to extract all of the possible historical nuggets out of each file and cross-reference the entries for best usability for researchers.
Estelle personally proofread and edited all the work that the volunteers did to be sure all was accurate. This was how Estelle decided to spend her retirement years - she went into "work" as a volunteer every day, 5 days a week for over 10 years indexing thousands and thousands of records, motivated by getting it finished and usable for historians and genealogists. Every day, she read letters from ordinary people trying to save their families, some ultimately successful, some not, and Estelle preserved their place in history. It was her persistence and determination that led her on one of those ordinary days to pull the Otto Frank file out of one of those dusty boxes. As Estelle's family, we are so glad that the movie No Asylum gives Estelle her place in the story of Anne Frank's family. We love seeing her talk about the moment she found the file - it's a little bit of limelight for a person who toiled completely behind the scenes, without any expectation of recognition. It's also not lost on us that Estelle's parents were successful where Otto Frank was not.
Two little girls (who didn't look so different) with different destinies. The one who had a chance to grow up in the US helped us all understand an important part of the story about the one who didn't.
Michelle Brody, Ph.D. (Estelle Guzik's niece)
Posted 21st Sep in News
Special Viewing at Kinloss Synagogue to Mark the 74th Anniversary of the Liberation of Belsen
Screening co-hosted by Yad Vashem UK Foundation and Kinloss Synagogue in Finchley, London, in the presence of Eva Schloss.
https://issuu.com/jewishnewsuk/docs/1105
Jewish News, 9th May 2019
Posted 9th May in News
Anne Frank documentary screened for Bergen Belsen liberation anniversary
Senior Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Kinloss Synagogue; Eva Schloss, Anne Frank's stepsister; Simon Bentley, Chairman, Yad Vashem UK Foundation; John Wood, son of Belsen liberator, Leonard Berney
To mark the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp by the British Army, a special screening of the documentary 'No Asylum - The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story' was held at a synagogue.
Barnet Times, 1st May 2019
Posted 1st May in News
Screening of "No Asylum" with Anne Frank's stepsister on 74th anniversary of liberation of Belsen
Senior Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Kinloss Synagogue; Eva Schloss, Anne Frank's stepsister; Simon Bentley, Chairman, Yad Vashem UK Foundation; John Wood, son of Belsen liberator, Leonard Berney. Photo by Hy Money
15 April 2019 - Finchley, London - To mark the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp by the British Army, a special screening of the documentary 'No Asylum - The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story' was held at the Kinloss Synagogue in Finchley, north London on 15 April 2019.
Eva Schloss, Anne Frank's stepsister and Auschwitz survivor, who appears in the film, attended the evening event which was attended by around 100. Following the screening, Eva gave a short account of her life story and answered questions.
The late Belsen liberator, Leonard Berney, who was a 25-year old major in the British Army on the day Belsen was liberated on 15th April 1945, also appears in the film. Leonard's son, John Wood, was in attendance at the screening as was Simon Bentley, the Chairman of Yad Vashem UK Foundation, Holocaust survivors Freddy Knoller, Mala Tribich and Eve Kugler, and the renowned film producer Mark Forstater, author of 'I Survived a Secret Nazi Extermination Camp'. And proceedings were conducted by Kinloss Synagogue's Senior Rabbi, Jeremy Lawrence.
The evening event was co-hosted by the Kinloss Synagogue and Yad Vashem UK Foundation.
Rabbi Lawrence: "At a time of increased antisemitism and racism in the public arena, it is important to hear survivor testimony. Those who have witnessed the escalation of intolerance and abuse; those who have been rebuffed as they have cried out at persecution or as they have tried to flee, remind us of the dangers of standing by and hold us to account. 'No Asylum' is a powerful and relevant film for 2019."
About Kinloss Synagogue
Kinloss (Finchley United Synagogue) has a membership of 3,000 and is the jewel in the crown of the United Synagogue. It is a thriving community and hosts many social and educational events throughout the year.
About Yad Vashem UK Foundation
Yad Vashem UK Foundation believes in the importance of educating, imparting and bequeathing to future generations the legacy of the Holocaust to ensure that the tragedy is never forgotten, to honour the memory of those who perished and to impart the legacy of the Holocaust to shape a more humane future. Yad Vashem UK Foundation bears the responsibility of passing the torch of remembrance from the Survivors to the coming generations. There are growing waves of hatred and anti Semitism throughout Europe which must be repelled and the world must never be allowed to forget the lessons of the Holocaust.
About "No Asylum - The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story" (2015)
No Asylum, the Paradise Filmworks International feature-length documentary, brings Otto Frank’s voice to light through his recently discovered letters, which reveal for the first time, the emotional tale of how the world turned its back on the Frank family as he desperately tried to obtain visas to save his family from the Holocaust. Starring: Leonard Berney, Jonathan Brent Ph.D., Richard Breitman, Ph.D., Meta Doran, Buddy Elias, Estelle Guzik, Lydia Lebovich, and Eva Schloss (Anne Frank's stepsister).
High res images:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tc2RCC8wijoWWKdp9
Captions are given in the information section of each photo. Please photo credit those images marked "Photo by Hy Money" with "Hy Money".
For more information:
Kinloss Synagogue - www.kinloss.org.uk - 020 8346 8551
Yad Vashem UK Foundation - www.yadvashem.org.uk - 020 8359 1146
"No Asylum - The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story" is streaming on Amazon and iTunes: www.noasylumfilm.com To host a screening, visit: www.noasylumfilm.com/host-a-screening
15 April 2019
Posted 17th Apr in News
Holocaust remembered at Anne Frank film screening in Bedford theatre
Peter Gerrish, Trustee, Bedford Council of Faiths, Eva Clark, youngest Holocaust survivor, Holocaust Educator Revd Cass Howes, Chair of Trustees Bedford Council of Faiths Val Ross, Eastern Regional Manager of the Anne Frank Trust UK. Photo credit: Dave Deans, The Place Theatre Bedford.
https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk...
Thursday 04 April 2019
Posted 4th Apr in News
No Asylum Film Q&A with Eva Schloss, Tomi Reichental and Mindu Hornick (Evening)
No Asylum Film Q&A (evening screening) at Solihull School.
23 Jan 2019
Posted 23rd Jan in News
No Asylum Film Q&A with Eva Schloss, Tomi Reichental and Mindu Hornick (Afternoon)
No Asylum Film Q&A (afternoon screening) at Solihull School.
23 Jan 2019
Posted 23rd Jan in News
"No Asylum" was given a double screening at Solihull School on Holocaust Memorial Day 2019
Anne Frank’s stepsister attends Solihull School film premiere
Solihull School is hosting a film screening to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, with a very special guest
https://ie-today.co.uk/Article/anne-franks-stepsister-attends-solihull-school-film-premiere/
IE Today, 21st Jan 2019
Posted 21st Jan in News
The UK Premiere of "No Asylum"
The UK premiere of "No Asylum" was covered in Jewish News, 4th October 2018, in an article entitled "Film For Anne" which can be seen here:
https://issuu.com/jewishnewsuk...
4th October 2018
Posted 4th Oct in News
NO ASYLUM: Anne Frank Film Screened By CINE-ONU, United Nations Information Service
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On the International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story reveals new Information about the Frank family's struggle to flee the Nazis and emigrate to safety.
Jan 23, 2018
Posted 23rd Jan in News
American Documentary Film Festival vying for local attention
"No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story," U.S. / Paula Fouce / 75 min. Palm Springs premiere Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
https://eu.desertsun.com/story...
Mar 29, 2017
Posted 29th Mar in News
Eva Schloss, Anne Frank's stepsister, has written about surviving the Holocaust and living in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Schloss said she toured the U.S. in 2015 after the film "No Asylum" was released. The documentary film chronicled Otto's attempts to gain entry to America.
Feb 14, 2017
Posted 14th Feb in News
No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank’s Story Interview & Screening
Anne Frank’s father, Otto’s recently discovered letters reveal new information about the family’s struggle to obtain visas to save themselves from the clutches of the Nazis.
Feb 10, 2017
Posted 10th Feb in News
Film preview — No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story
A new documentary about thwarted attempts by Anne Frank's father to move his family to safety in the US, has contemporary resonance, says Stephen Applebaum, by Stephen Applebaum.
https://www.thejc.com/culture/film/no-asylum-1.431511
January 30, 2017
Posted 30th Jan in News
'No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story': Film Review
Letters from Anne Frank's father flesh out the story of her family's suffering.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/no-asylum-untold-chapter-anne-921217
8/19/2016
Posted 19th Aug in News
Documentary Watch – No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank’s Story
There probably isn’t a person whose story has been told as many times as Anne Frank’s has.
Posted 18th Aug in News
'No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story' revealed via her father's letters
Anne Frank's cousin, Buddy Elias, at her grave, from the documentary "No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story." (Paradise Filmworks)
Just when you thought you'd heard every vital story about the Holocaust, along comes the stirring documentary "No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank's Story" to shine further light on one of history's darkest periods.
AUG 18, 2016
Posted 18th Aug in News
‘Anne Frank’ tonight at Ner Tamid; 1,700 CCSD students to watch ‘Diary of Anne Frank’
The Las Vegas premiere of “No Asylum: The Untold Chapter of Anne Frank’s Story” is tonight at 6:30 at Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 N. Valle Verde Drive in Henderson, and the film’s producer, Paula Fouce, and Jonathon Brent, the director of YIVO, the Institute for Jewish Research, will be in attendance.
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2...
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Posted 18th May in News
‘No Asylum’ Review: Anne Frank’s Father Explored in Heartbreaking Documentary
Paula Fouce’s doc sheds new light on the Frank family’s attempts to escape the Nazis — and asks tough questions about refugee policies
https://www.thewrap.com/no-asylum-review-anne-frank/
August 19, 2016
Posted 19th Apr in News
No Asylum Screening!
No Asylum is screening at the Palm Beach Film Festival today! Grab your tickets here: http://tix.smarttix.com/Modules/Sales/SalesMainTab...
Posted 14th Apr in News
museum of jewish heritage - march 17th 2016
THURSDAY, MARCH 17
7:00 PM
Film screening and discussion with director Paula Fouce
MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE
Edmond J. Safra Hall
Buy Tickets Now
Posted 25th Feb in News
New Anne Frank Documentary Examines U.S. Immigration Standards That Barred Many Jews During World War II
'No Asylum' chronicles Otto Frank's efforts to save his family in the face of complex restrictions.
https://www.hollywoodreporter....
12/12/2015
Posted 12th Dec in News
NO ASYLUM, New Documentary Film, Features Buddy Elias, Last Relative of Anne Frank
Anne Frank died 70 years ago this week, and her message of tolerance still rings true.
https://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/03/prweb12597402.htm
1 April 2015
Posted 1st Apr in News
Malibu Film Archive Gives Light To Anne Frank ... - Malibu Times
The “No Asylum” documentary is being greatly enhanced by long-time Malibu resident and executive producer Leslie Schwarz’s priceless film library of events that took place around the globe from 1933-1973.
http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_067ad5d8-28a9-11e4-ada0-001a4bcf887a.html
20 Aug 2014
Posted 20th Aug in News