An American-born Jewish adolescent, Hannah Stern, is uninterested in the culture, faith and customs of her relatives. However, she begins to revaluate her heritage when she has a supernatural experience that transports her back to a Nazi death camp in 1941. There she meets a young girl named Rivkah, a fellow captive in the camp. As Rivkah and Hannah struggle to survive in the face of daily atrocities, they form an unbreakable bond.
Acting
Brittany Murphy's Rivkah breaks you in half.
Direction
Donna Deitch makes 95 minutes feel like years.
Writing
The Seder plate as time machine — brutal poetry.
Director
Donna Deitch
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Jane Yolen's 1988 novel; she hated the movie's softened ending and added material.
This was Brittany Murphy's first dramatic role — she reportedly stayed in character between takes, unsettling the crew.
US
