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PAPER
CLIPS
review by
Terri Wall
6,000,000 paper clips. Who could possibly ever need 6,000,000 paper clips?
The students in Whitwell, Tennessee, a small rural, almost entirely Christian
town needed this many paper clips. Because while leaning about the Holocaust
they realized that they could not even comprehend how big a number 6,000,000
is. And what is the significance of that number? That is the number of Jews
killed in the Holocaust. To visually represent this vast number they started
a project to collect that number of paper clips and solicited donations from
celebrities and others. So what began as a school project which their principal
thought would teach these students in a tiny, non-diverse locale about other
types of people and cultures and about the terror of intolerance and hatred,
turned into a labor of love which educated not only these students and townspeople,
but the whole world. Not to mention providing an outlet for Holocaust survivors
to tell their stories and make sure their history is not forgotten and for
decedents of Holocaust victims to have a final resting place (at least symbolically
for their loved ones). And it also left the lasting legacy of a permanent
memorial to the victims of the Holocaust so the world will never forget them.
This movie is one of the most powerful and inspirational films I have ever
seen. What started as the idea of one woman principal as a small school project
developed into a worldwide consciousness-raising experience. It created a
focal point for Holocaust victims to come together and grieve, vent and very
possibly be healed. And it opened the hearts and minds of most of the population
of this self-admittedly somewhat racist rural town. Racist in the sense of
being ignorant of the rest of the world and of cultures other than their own
and of being quick to judge others.
Run out to see this film and support it. Take children to see it so that they
can learn and become enlightened about this terrible period in history. Spread
the word. I saw this movie on Saturday afternoon, the day after it opened,
and there were only four people in the theater. That theater should have been
full. Everyone deserves to experience this film.
Interestingly, this movie was playing next door to Hotel Rwanda. Two films
reminding us of horrible, insane mass slaughter. Two films teaching us that
we can rise above such horrible events and hopefully never allow them to be
repeated.
And by the way you may want to bring tissues and paper clips with you. You'll
probably want to wear your paper clip when you leave. I found one lying on
the floor of my car as soon as I left the movie and attached it to my collar
immediately. Was that not the Universe affirming the experience of this movie?
Paper Clips was Directed by Eliot Berlin and Joe Fab and
Written by Joe Fab.
The website is
www.miramax.com/paperclips.
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