NO PLACE ON EARTH – The Review

Once again film makers have mined the histories and stories of World War II for another fascinating, little known tale of survival. The best known story may be that of Anne Frank, who was back in the news recently thanks to a pop music star visiting her museum. Two years ago the St. Louis International Film Festival was wowed by IN DARKNESS, a dramatic feature that told the story of Polish Jews who lived in the city’s sewers to avoid arrest by the occupying Nazi forces. In release now is NO PLACE ON EARTH, a similar story told in a very different way. EARTH is basically a documentary that uncovers a new survival story that’s every bit as moving and dramatic as the former film.

The new film actually begins in the United States, New York city to be exact. Underground explorer Chris Nicola decided to travel to his forefathers’ homeland in the Ukraine. While looking through the caves he discovered some curious artifacts: buttons, keys, kitchen utensils and other items that seemed to be from a few decades in the past. Working with local officials and residents, Nicola learned that several families fled to the caves and hid for over 500 days when Nazi troops occupied their villages. The film makers interview the last living members of the families, while actors are used to illustrate their stories. Later Nicola brings them back to the Ukraine and shows them their underground shelters where they lived in fear over 65 years ago.

Director Janet Tobias has assembled a brisk engaging film that’s a great historical mystery. The first focus is on Ricola as he gathers up the remnants of life in the scary 1940’s, but it’s soon  taken over by the film’s heart: the oral testimonies by the remaining members of the Stermer and Dodyk families. The recreated sequences featuring actors interpreting these stories are well done, but are not as powerful as the emotional remembrances of these now elderly survivors. Though they were only grade school age, the incidents are recalled as if they happened days, not decades, ago. The smells, feelings, and tastes (the meager meals made to last for days) are still fresh as are their love and admiration for family members long gone. This gives the film quite an emotional knock-out as the interviewees return to their homeland. Although much as changed, the names of the neighbors still linger. Surprisingly several of the physically frail decide to be lowered into the still cold, muddy caves where they point out chalk messages scribbled on the walls. NO PLACE ON EARTH is an engaging, entertaining celebration of the human spirit. How many of us could take eighteen months in the dark, dank underworld?

3.5 Out of 5

NO PLACE ON EARTH screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas