Genre
Synopsis
THE BOY IN THE WOODS follows the true story of Max (Jett Klyne), a Jewish boy escaping Nazi persecution in Eastern Europe. After he is separated from his family, Max finds refuge with a christian peasant Jasko (Richard Armitage) who hides him in plain site until a tense stand-off with some Nazi police. Afraid for his own family's life, Jasko sends Max to live in the woods where he learns to survive alone. With echoes of a Grimm's Fairy Tale, Max's experience is both terrifying and magical. He inhabits a landscape crawling with 'Jew-hunters', partisans and haunted by ghosts. Then everything changes when he meets another Jewish boy in hiding, Yanek (David Kohlsmith). Their extraordinary adventure culminates in the heroic rescue of a baby girl, but it comes at a tragic price. Based on the best-selling memoir by Canadian Holocaust survivor Maxwell Smart and inspired by the award-winning documentary Cheating Hitler: Surviving The Holocaust.
Bio
Rebecca is a narrative and documentary writer and director. She won the 2018 Canadian Screen Award for documentary directing, and Best Canadian Director at the Oakville Film and Arts Festival 2024.
She has written and directed three feature-length documentaries: 'Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust' (nominated for Rockie and Real Screen Awards in 2020), 'Pandora’s Box: Lifting the Lid on Menstruation' about menstrual equity and period poverty (Alliance of Women Film Journalists Special Jury Award winner), and the true-crime documentary 'Surviving The Block' about Moka Dawkins, a racialized transgender sex worker in Toronto. Born and raised in London England, Rebecca's early career was spent working at the BBC in the documentary Arts and History units. She moved to Toronto in 2010. Her North American broadcast writing/directing credits include NBC’s Emmy-nominated series 'Who Do You Think You Are?' CBC’s 'Nature of Things', and for History Channel; 'Museum Secrets', 'Perfect Storms', 'Mummies Alive', and 'Real Vikings.
Rebecca wrote and directed her first dramatic feature film 'The Boy In The Woods', which is based on the best-selling memoir by Holocaust survivor Maxwell Smart. It played over 30 festivals worldwide, winning the audience choice award at Manchester Film Festival, the Torchbearer Award at Miami Jewish Film Festival and Best film and audience awards at Forest City Film Festival (as well as other awards). It is currently available on Paramount+ Canada.
Screening History
North American premiere - Atlantic Film Festival 2023
US premiere - Miami Jewish Film Festival 2024
World Premiere - Manchester Film Festival 2024
Awards History
Forest City Film Festival 2023 - Best Film
Manchester International Film Festival 2024 - Audience Award
Oakville Festival of Film and Arts 2024 - Best Canadian Director
Miami Jewish Film Festival 2024 - Torchbearer Award
Press
"This adaptation of a Holocaust memoir provides a distinctive take on the meaning of remembrance in the face of catastrophe... the filmmaking is breathtaking – the photography of Canadian forests masquerading as eastern European woodland seamlessly zooms in from broad panoramas to close-ups of individual pine-needles, and back out again. This too is part of Snow’s and Smart’s shared perspective on memory – the imperative to hold onto every individual caught up in the tragedy. The Spielberg-esque coda is, certainly, a celebration of Jewish resilience, but it also contains a devastating reminder of how much survival can cost."
The Jewish Chronicle
"The Boy in the Woods is not only moving, but serves as an important reminder of how devastating war is, especially to innocent children. A must watch."
Film Focus Online
"A sort of boy's own adventure story but with the pitch-black cloud of The Holocaust hanging over it."
The Guardian
Credits
Lead Actor - Jett Klyne
Actor - Richard Armitage
Actor - Christopher Heyerdahl
