Joshua Waletzky directed Partisans of Vilna (1986) as a comprehensive, multi-voiced oral history of Jewish resistance in one city in Lithuania during World War II. With producer Aviva Kempner, Waletzky interviewed survivors (such as these four, above) from the Vilna ghetto, many of whom joined anti-Nazi partisan groups in the surrounding forests. Waletzky, who also edited the film, weaves together a flood of stories and memories with arresting archival footage, photographs, and partisan songs. The film takes special care with issues of morality and survival, allowing a full picture of the complexity and dangers of the times.
