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1991 - NEVER FORGET
Dir: Fred C. Brannon
Writer: Ronald Rubin
Mel Mermelstein
Leonard Nimoy
William Cox Dabney Coleman
Jane Mermelstein Blythe Danner
Richard Fusilier Paul Hampton
Bernie Mermelstein Jason Person
Edie Mermelstein Juliet Sorcey
David Mermelstein Nicholas Fee
Kenny Mermelstein Ben Gregory
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Mel Mermelstein is the only
survivor of his family who all have been killed in a concentration camp because
they were Jewish. He was a child at the time and was deported from Hungary,
imprisoned and mistreated as the others, forced to live under inhuman conditions.
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Now having his own family and living in America he continues to witness
about what happened there.
This true story plays in California in the end of the twentieth century.
Mel Mermelstein collects exhibits from concentration camps. There are worn
out shoes, striped jackets, wires, photos and many reminders of a life
in a concentration camp. His wife gives him a hand when hes arranging the
exhibits, placing the exhibits in frames or behind glass to preserve them.
Mel puts explanations underneath and describes how items were used and
under which conditions people had to suffer to anybody interested in
learning about the holocaust. He also visits school classes and answers
questions of the children.
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His life drastically changes when a letter arrives, addressed
to him challenging him to present prove of the Holocaust or in case he
cannot do so remain silent about it. The "Institute of Historical Research",
people claiming it never happened, offered $ 50,000 as a reward for anybody
presenting prove of the holocaust. Their aim is to silence those who care
that the Holocaust will not be forgotten. If anybody came up and tried to
bring forward evidence, the case would take place in one of their own "courts"
leaving little chance for the challenged person for a fair case and being
treated as an offender.
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The family has mixed reactions. All of them are supportive
to their father, but got different personal interests.
Mel's wife, goes with
him all the way. The eldest son, Bernie, struggles for acceptance
of his father in his needs and avoids the exhibition his father works
for in his spare time. The daughter is still young and shows him her
love, while she is more interested in the father as a person than in his
involvement with the topic.
The youngest son is very interested in his father's history, which he
realizes is a part of his own. He wants to listen to the stories
and to his tattoo showing the number he has had in the camp.
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Knowing he could not live with a lie or being hushed
Mel Mermelstein visits any institution he can think of to get help how
to deal wit the letter. No one offers help and every institution and
person advises him to back off because there is no chance to present
any prove they would not be able to destroy in their own court.
Everybody wants to help him, but no one sees a chance to be successful
it has been tried before. One person even takes the letter and throws
it into the dustbin, saying that it belongs there, while she's obviously
worried about him wanting to help him.
Mel cannot ignore the challenge which would leave him look like a liar
and betray all he worked for so hard. Not only did his family die in
the Holocaust, but by backing down he would be part of those responsible
for the Holocaust is not being remembered. After an inner fight he takes
the letter out of the dustbin, stating to the woman that she has no
right to throw away his letter for him. It is addressed to him and it
is up to him how to handle it.
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A scene in his office he's running a woodwork business shows
that Mel does not seem to be the typical fighter. When a wrong delivery arrives,
he tells the secretary she should be more strict and she answers ironically:
"Yes, Mel, you are such a tough guy!" showing clearly that she likes him the
way he is not such a tough guy. And now it is on him to fight an organization
which tries to force him to remain silent.
Alone, for everybody and any institution advises him to handle the letter as
the woman had done.
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Even lawyers cannot find a helpful solution until he
gets to a lawyer, William Cox, who's sorry too that he cannot do anything at
first. He too sees the desperation in Mels face and keeps thinking about
the enormous injustice of the situation ... until he finds a way, knocks at the
Mermelstein's door in the middle of the night and suggests his plan:
to answer the letter, accepting their terms. The institution, he says, does no
really want to find prove, but to get rid of people who remember.
They would not take his offer to present the truth, because they would expect
him to ignore the letter which would be the same as admitting that the Holocaust
is not a fact.
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Or they expect him to offer to come but not really make it.
Cox' idea is based on a case in which a simple breaking of a contract
provides a law case in an American official court. If no answer to his
letter came in 30 days time, the institute would have broken a contract.
After a while and after discussing it with his wife and the family, Mel
hires Cox to pursue the case. He answers the letter and anxiously observes
the daily post to arrive no answer from them.
On the 30th day, he gets up
early and rushes to the post office where the post is sorted. He finds the
postman and receives his own post. "I hope you found what you are looking for,"
the postman wishes him. "No, no, no! Luckily not!" Mel shouts back in relieved
excitement rushing to the lawyer's home. As happy as they are in the moment,
both know it's just begun.....
They accuse the institution for breaking of contract. A law case is filled.
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Before the day of the hearing arrives the months are filled with tragedy.
Too much background work, preparations, research and reading must be done,
so that Mel's work is suffering. And so is the family. Mel to go to a
show in school where the daughter has got a role to play. She tells him all about
it and says that what he is doing is more important than a performance in school.
Mel is working long nights showing signs of exhaustion and the eldest feels that
he is not important to his father. He shows his anger while discussing the
situation with his father. "When I say 'I am hungry', you always say 'You never
experienced real hunger', referring to hunger in the concentration camp.
I simply cannot compete with 'them'!"
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Understandingly Mel gets aware how deep his involvement with the history affects
the family. Though they play ball together and share meals with harmony,
humor and discussions, the case becomes a permanent present threat.
One day the young daughter opens a letter addressed to the family
to find cut of hair from gassed Jews as stated in the letter.
She screams and is hugged, but all suffer under the cruelty and
inhuman actions still possible in the late 20th century.
Like the day they find a dead pig in front of their door and masses
of reporters recklessly pursuing them for commends. And in their
preparations they are forced to handle dirty literature, sleazy
drawings and lies without end. Hardly being able to believe all
that ignorance being possible in this part of the world in this
time, they go on with the preparations taking their toll, too.
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Mel and Cox go to a meeting of people denying
the holocaust has happened. Mel is supposed to face them, to become
aware what lies ahead and to control himself.
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Succeeding in the first two,
he simply has to loose control when hearing that what people have been
forced to suffer is publicly called a lie.
An address of a friendly old Lady, a relative,
might help them to find another witness. When Mel and his wife visit
her, all seems to be all right, until they mention the camp.
Her neurotic fear is revealed by the thought of it. She still sees "them" coming and closes the doors, hushes the Mermelsteins and tells
them that "they are coming every night. Mel and his wife see the
traumatic impact the concentration camp still has on her. They comfort
her and surely cannot mention the camp again.
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The nerves of the family are put to another test
when they get a call: There is a fire in the exhibition. As Mel runs to
the car the eldest son suddenly decides to go with his father.
Firemen all around they get informed that it was a false alarm.
Anyway Mel wants to check on the exhibition and finds nothing damaged
or missing. Bernie walks around the rooms in wonder.
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Slowly he
realizes what it is all about and admits to his father that he hasn't
been here for a long time.
He begins to understand his father and is
interested in the photos. On one picture he sees a figure amongst
the skinny victims and asks: "Is this you, father?" Mel confirms and
shares that he was about his son's age at the time. Suddenly they become
afraid: What if the fake call was to get them away from the house?
They phone to find out that the family is o. k. The more incidents
occur the less convinced Mel becomes. He thinks of his family and what
the case is doing to them. And he thinks of giving up. Which he suggests.
Now all the family is sure: They have gone so far and they go on backing
up their father's case.
Days later a meeting with two representatives
of the institution reveals their practices.
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Twisting his statements,
recklessly ignoring the suffering and blaming him to have invented or
just imagined the killing of his parents ... all said smilingly to
provoke him. It results in sad despair.
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Unable to grasp the unbelievable
coldness and bending of truth Mel begins to cry.
At home his family is awaiting him. Exhausted and out of voice after
hours of interrogation Mel shares with them: "They can make you say anything.
There really is a chance we can loose the case."
Finally in court: Self assured representatives from the institution
against a family and a lawyer who know that so far the lies could
not have been stopped. They reassure each other by eye contact.
The judge begins the case by stating that this is officially a case
of a broken contract. But he is not willing to treat it as such.
The main subject of the case will handle the question whether
there has been a holocaust or not.
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Cross examination of witnesses.
In the end the judge asks Mel why he does not stop talking about
the holocaust. Mel shares that he was the only survivor and that
he has promised his father, before he was killed, never to stop
talking about what happened there and whatever happens he would never
forget his promise given to his father.
The ruling of the court states that the holocaust,
is a fact and that it is a crime to deny the fact. The personal
witnessing of Mel Mermelstein about the concentration camp Auschwitz
in Poland was one part besides proven historical facts.
This was the first court ruling to officially state that there was a holocaust.
A relieved family and the lawyer fall into each others arms.
They have achieved that the holocaust is treated as a non deniable fact
from now on. knowing the lies will go on ....
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