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Inside Hana’s Suitcase Film Presentation

Inside Hana’s Suitcase (2009). Directed by Larry Weinstein.

Inside Hana’s Suitcase is beautifully crafted and easily, one of the best films at Hot Docs this year. It’s based upon the the internationally acclaimed book “Hana’s Suitcase” written by Karen Levine.

Through a series of dramatic re-enactments the film tells the real-life story of two Jewish children from Czechoslovakia, George and Hana Brady.

Things shift from the 1930s and 1940s world of Czechoslovakia to present-day Japan at the Tokyo Holocaust Museum. A suitcase with the name Hana Brady painted on it is delivered to the museum where Fumiko Ishioka and her students discover that it came from Auschwitz. They examine the contents of the suitcase and learn as much as they can about Hana’s life and the war. Their journey leads to the discovery that Hana’s brother George, is alive and living in Toronto. From there the story continues to get more and more interesting.

Throughout the film, children from around the world tell Hana’s story and the lessons they’ve learned from her experience.

Update: Inside Hana’s Suitcase was named as one of the top ten audience favourites at Hot Docs this year.

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