Nicky's Family

This is a must watch!. One man changed the lives of thousands and wanted nothing in return. His story remained his secret for 50 years until an old scrapbook tucked away in the attic came to light. Even his wife and son did not know this story. So many rejected the story, but one had the courage to tell it. The legacy of this man has now grown into the thousands. His compassionate heart has allowed us to go to the next frontier. He has inspired thousands of people to just step out and help without judgment. We can each find a way to change the world with just a bit of caring. Think about what you can do.

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Well made.Everyone needs to watch it. It has the life lessons...

This is an extremely touching, powerful, and well presented docudrama focusing on the heroic efforts of Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker, who helped rescue 669 children, mostly Jewish, from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, in the late 1930's. These children would have faced near certain death in the Nazi extermination camps if they hadn't been brought out of the country. Using enormous determination Winton, when seeing the desperate need, first-hand, of the families there, finally found one country to let the refugee children in, and that was his own Great Britain. Opening, a small office Winton cut any corners he could to expedite and coordinate this vast undertaking. He had to find British families to match up and take the Czechoslovakian children into their homes, as the "iron fist" of the Nazis got tighter and tighter and World War 2 was about to begin. In this remarkable film, director Matej Minac deftly interposes some dramatization of the actual events, with striking real footage of the era. There are a number of interviews of the rescued children, today of course they're senior citizens, who recount their dramatic and traumatic memories of their experiences. There is also lots of footage of them telling their stories today to young persons at schools, and it's heart-warming to see the real interest of the young in their tales. What's amazing is that none of this story may have come to light if Winton's wife Grete hadn't found a scrapbook of all the children and the events that occurred. Winton had not revealed to her or anyone else what he had done. Eventually, in 1988, the story reached a BBC program "That's Life" where Winton, who was invited under false pretenses to the show, is thoroughly shocked to be sitting next to some of the people whose lives he had helped save. In fact, the audience is all made up of these rescued children. This was a terribly moving scene in the movie and extremely heart-felt as Winton, who is now 105-years-young, gets to meet some of the people he saved for the first time. As mentioned this was one of the most moving films I've seen in a long time, and well deserving of the highest rating. Rating: A+

I think I cried through most of the movie. Extremely touching story. A must see.

This was the most touching, the most compelling and the most beautiful documentary I have ever seen. It touched my heart so deeply. If you have come upon this page then I would advise you to put anything and everything what you are doing aside and watch this documentary first. A story told by the people who lived it, survived the holocaust to tell it to you and pass it onto the next generation. Direction is at the best and it is very smooth time travel. They haven't included any of the World War II violence. It is impossible to see the fruits of the tree you planted but in this documentary they have shown a person who planted his trees and lived to eat and enjoy it's fruits during his life time and spread his generosity for upcoming generations. Simple loved it.

The documentary entitled "Nicky's Family" (2011) describes how one British businessman organized a valiant effort to rescue over six hundred children in Czechoslovakia from the Nazis during the tense months immediately preceding the outbreak of World War II. At the time, Adolf Hitler's military forces had invaded parts of Czechoslovakia and begun terrorizing the Jewish community. Many parents realized that their children's' best hope for survival would involve becoming temporary refugees abroad. The film contains a few historical dramatic depictions, but most of the coverage involves interviews with key participants. It is very fortunate that so many people were able to share their memories of the events. The documentary production also makes excellent use of film footage dating from the prewar and wartime era. "Nicky's Family" contains a bittersweet quality. While everyone can rejoice that just a few dedicated volunteers rescued so many children from peril, some accounts describe intensely painful events. Viewers can empathize with the separation of families at the train station in Czechoslovakia, the terror of Jewish children undertaking a long and confusing journey through Nazi Germany on their way to their host families in the British Isle, and the sadness many rescued children experienced when they learned what happened to so many of their relatives and loved ones who remaining behind. The fact that many families in Czechoslovakia tried to send their children abroad to safety but could not do so also provides a sad undercurrent to the events in the film. This is a beautiful, inspiring and informative documentary which deserves attention. It is also a kind tribute to the brave Englishman who organized the relief efforts, and to the host families who agreed to shelter the refugees.

While the story of Nicholas Winton is relatively well known in the UK today, many people outside the country still have no idea who he is and why he's recently become famous. This story is about how this man's actions just before World War Two have made a huge impact on the world today. Back in very late 1938, Winton was traveling across Europe. He happened to go to Czechoslovakia instead of his original choice, Switzerland. When he arrived in Prague, he was amazed at the virulence of the new Nazi regime against the Jews and he was one of the few outsiders who recognized this for what it was. Most at the time thought the anti- Semitism would just blow over--Winton recognized that it could mean death to all these people. Some of the Jews in Czechoslovakia also thought that the Nazis intended to kill them and soon Winton organized a scheme to get as many Jewish children out of Nazi-controlled Czechoslovakia as they could. All in all, he was responsible for organizing an effort which saved almost 700 children--sending them off to live in the UK for the duration of the war. For this, some folks have referred to him as 'Britain's Schindler'. Oddly, Winton's efforts went mostly unnoticed after the war and Winton himself didn't talk about it. In fact, he didn't even tell his wife until they were very, very elderly. She was amazed and decided to do something about it--and she went to the BBC and other agencies to talk about her husband's pre-war activities. The story resonated with the TV service and soon they began contacting as many of the surviving refugees that Winton's efforts saved in order to honor the man. Then, in his upper 90s, Winton was finally publicly recognized for his actions on television. However, the film is NOT just about Winton. While he is very important to the beginning and ending of the film, so much fills in the middle portion of the documentary. Had it been just about Winton, it would have been an exceptional picture. Instead, it also focuses on the children--their experiences at the time and their lives after the war. Additionally, like the analogy they give of a stone being tossed into the water, the 'ripples' created by these lives is what makes the film so incredibly special. There is also a lot of focus is on children today throughout the world who are now celebrating Winton's legacy by giving back to others--and in effect, these are all members of 'Nicky's family'. The many volunteer activities kids do today as well as a huge celebration of Winton and the Czech refugees make the film magical to watch--and will definitely bring a few tears to your eyes. So, while the story is incredibly sad since the parents of these refugee children died horribly, this isn't the end of the story--there is hope and goodness. So who is the audience for this film? I'd say just about anyone. Because the film is careful to thoroughly explain Nazi anti-Semitism, the climate of the late 1930s as well as the Holocaust, it's excellent for kids who don't yet know about WWII and the massacres. And, it's also appropriate because although it talks about these horrors, it lacks the extremely gory images you might find in many documentaries about the Holocaust. Now I am not being critical of films which do--but because this one doesn't, parents can rest assured that the kids will learn about these events without worrying about there being age inappropriate content. As for adults, they, too, will enjoy the film and draw great inspiration from the folks in the Nicky's Family. All in all, it's one of the most inspiring and heart-felt films I have seen in a long, long time. Be sure to watch it with a box of Kleenex handy.

This was a truly wonderful documentary. It is related in a narrative style, where we go back and forth between modern times and 1939 to tell the amazing story of what one man did to save a large group of children from the Nazis. That man is Nicholas George Winton. During the 1930's, he was a successful stockbroker living in London. He certainly looked like one, all dressed up and wearing his big glasses! In the winter of 1938, he was planning a skiing trip in Switzerland. His plans were changed by a last-minute phone call from a friend in Prague, Czechoslovakia. There was a serious problem there, since Nazi Germany had recently annexed part of the country (Sudetenland), and it looked like they were going after more. Nicholas met with terrified and hungry refugees that had been displaced by the Nazis. They were desperate to leave. As we all know from the tragic history, no nations were willing to take them in. Even the United States kept its doors firmly shut. What could anyone do to help these refugees? Nicholas found a way to save at least some of the children, by getting them adopted. This took an enormous amount of effort filling out lengthy paperwork, and of course money - 50 pounds per child. He founded an organization that placed these Czech children into British homes. It was heart-breaking for the Czech families to say goodbye to their children at the train station, but as the political situation steadily got worse, they knew it was the right thing. In 1939, over 660 children were officially adopted into new homes. The flow of children stopped abruptly on September 1st, 1939, which is when the war officially started. During the war, Nicholas enlisted in the Royal Air Force and flew missions into Europe. Afterwards, he returned to his business, got married, and started a family. It was nearly 50 years later that his wife discovered a dusty suitcase in the attic of their house, showing all the documents and photos of the children. Nicholas, as humble as anyone could be, had never mentioned it to her. His wife thought it would be great to reach out and see how the children (now well into middle age) had fared, and she reached out to them. We learn that many of them grew up to become successful citizens. Some remained in Britain, and others emigrated. They had never known who had been responsible for getting them out of Czechoslovakia, and were quite eager to meet and thank Nicholas Winton for his great deed. In one excerpt from a live television show, we see people introduce themselves to Nicholas, now well into his 80's. He is moved to tears, and humble as always, says very little to them. Not surprisingly, we learn the fate of the Czech parents who had to give their children away: they were sent to the death camps. The children that Nicholas was unable to save also perished there. All of this shows what one man was able to do. People were so inspired by him that some organizations are now trying to do the same. As Nicholas Winton celebrated his 100th birthday, he then met with some different organizations that want to help people all over the world.

Non fiction. A story well told. Plot spoilers: Nicholas Winton (later knighted) during WW2 , found himself involved in trying to save children (the majority of them Jewish) in Czechoslovakia. His efforts lead to him saving 669 of them from what would have been death in concentration camps. For years afterwards this story was untold as he put it aside to get on with life, Later his actions were discovered by his wife as she was going through some items in the attic. His heroism was given the recognition he richly deserved and by his actions, inspired those who were saved and those who became aware of his story to help others

I didn't know what to expect from this movie. After viewing so many Holocaust related films over the years, the themes seem to melt into one another. In my searches, I've learned about the name and location of the camps, the names of the most terrible people, and the sociology of a nation that surprisingly contracted, almost overnight, a deep mental illness that it did not wish to free itself from. That illness was hate. This movie, however, after the first half of it, kept me in tears. I am a man who finds it extremely difficult to cry, except on occasions when I watch a touching movie or read a heartfelt book. Without those avenues, I am unable to shed a tear. But this film was so completely able to bring out of me tears by witnessing the impact the good deeds of one man can cause through a kind of domino effect. Nicholas Winton, still alive today at 105, is a man worthy of all the honors bestowed on him. He is a hero of the highest caliber due to his unflinching commitment to save the lives of 700 Czech children during the advance of the Third Reich into Czechoslovakia in 1938. What he did was provide for these children English families to adopt them. Tirelessly he worked to sometimes forge papers in order to save children he barely knew, all out of an altruistic character not often seen in stock brokers, which he was prior to making a visit with a friend to inspect for himself what Hitler was causing within Czechoslovakia. That visit changed his life forever, for the good of hundreds of Czech children. Nicky wrote hundreds of letters seeking aid from all countries, and fashioned pictorial listings of all the kids for selection by their future parents, but only one country was willing to open their hearts to these desperate children, England. Because of his work, Nicky now has a "family" of some 5800 offspring from the grown children he arranged to secure passage to a new life in England. The kindness of the English people shown to these children makes me extremely proud of British countrymen and women. It was stated on the film, that the poorest of English people were the most compassionate and loving. Watch the documentary, but be sure to have Kleenex sitting by you as you will, without a doubt, be very moved.