Holocaust Representations in Animated Documentaries: The Contours of Commemoration

Examines representations of the Holocaust, Holocaust survivors and their descendants in animated documentaries The book is the first comprehensive analysis of animated Holocaust documentaries Analyses films that were not researched before Discusses case studies from the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Israel Interdisciplinary research that brings together Film studies, Animation Studies, Holocaust Studies, Trauma Studies, and Memory Studies Animated Holocaust documentaries visualize subject matter that previously eluded live-action documentaries such as the unfilmed past and people's inner worlds The vast majority of animated Holocaust documentaries marginalize the horrors and instead focus on bravery, resilience, and hope Animated documentaries dealing with the Holocaust, Holocaust survivors, and their descendants constitute a new phenomenon and inaugurate a new field of Holocaust commemoration. This book is the first comprehensive analysis of animated Holocaust documentaries. It explores movies produced in the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Israel. Based on theories developed in the fields of animated documentary, Holocaust studies, cinema studies, trauma studies, and memory studies, this volume discusses the ways in which animated Holocaust documentaries create a new layer of Holocaust microhistory, their advantages, and their disadvantages. It shows how these movies visualize subject matter that previously eluded live-action documentaries such as the unfilmed past and people's inner worlds. The book shows that Holocaust animated documentaries also have specific shortcomings and have generated a new set of problems relating to Holocaust memory and representation. For example, the vast majority marginalize the horrors and instead focus on bravery, resilience, and hope.