ABOUT THE PROJECT
LOGLINE
Alma Rosé is born into a musical elite family at the turn of the century Vienna but her life changes when she’s interned in Auschwitz. To save her life and the lives of many others, Alma becomes the conductor of the Auschwitz women's orchestra. This is the story of Alma, the women she saves and their offspring.
SYNOPSIS
This is the story of Alma Rosé. Born into the musical elite turn-of-the-last-century Vienna, the capital of arts and music in Europe. Her uncle is Gustav Mahler and her father, Arnold Rosé, the famous concertmaster and conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic. She has a fabled childhood surrounded by musicians and artists and has a highly successful career as a musician.
In 1938 when Austria is annexed, she manages to escape to London to perform with her father and then to the Netherlands.
But when the Germans occupy the Netherlands, Alma knows her life is at stake. She arranges to marry a Dutch engineer but this fictitious marriage does not save her nor does the conversion to Christianity. She flees to France but is arrested by the Gestapo in Drancy and is deported in July 1943 to Auschwitz concentration camp.
Word of her impressive performance spread to the neighboring camp, Birkenau, and to the ears of SS Officer Maria Mandl who supervised the women’s camp and ran the Women’s Orchestra.
Alma is made its conductor. Alma protects her players, even lying about their musical ability to save lives. However, Alma does not. She died in the camp in 1944.
Her actions—and her music—would have repercussions for decades to come. She is a controversial figure—viewed as a Nazi collaborator by some, a savior by others. And as we will see, nothing is black and white. But her undeniable role in protecting the lives of her musicians inadvertently lead to generations of Holocaust survivors. As these second generation daughters, themselves remarkably linked by music, help us piece together the complex and layered portrait of Alma, the film explores the impact of transgenerational trauma, the tentacles of which reach directly from the Holocaust.
PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature
DIRECTOR Francine Zuckerman
PRODUCER Francine Zuckerman, Sally Blake
WEBSITE zfilms.ca
The Film Collaborative (TFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing programs and services for independent filmmakers. TFC’s federal tax ID number is 32-0295081. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Support a TFC Fiscal Sponsorship Project
Please help support this project with a tax deductible contribution. The “donate” button below will take you to PayPal, but a PayPal account is not required to make a donation. You can check out 2 ways:
- Use your PayPal account
- Check out as a guest by selecting “Donate with a Debit or Credit Card” (no PayPal account is required)
Transaction Fee
Please consider covering the PayPal transaction fee by selecting the “I’d like to add to my donation to help offset the cost of processing” box on the next page. This will ensure your intended full donation amount will be received for the project.
Alternate Donation Payment Methods
If you prefer to donate by check, Zelle, ACH, or wire transfer, please email us for instructions.
Stock Donations
TFC accepts stock donations. By donating stock that has appreciated for more than a year, you are giving 20% more than if you sold the stock and then made a cash donation, since you will not pay capital gains taxes on the donated stock. Learn more here.
Please email us for instructions to donate stock to a fiscally sponsored project.
Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Donations
A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations. TFC accepts DAF donations and is on file with most major DAF companies. Provide your DAF TFC’s Tax ID: 32-0295081. If we are already on file with your DAF company, they will process the donation.
If TFC is not already on file with your DAF company, please email us for instructions.
Tax Receipts
In compliance with IRS rules, tax receipts for your charitable gift are issued for the amount The Film Collaborative receives after payment processor fees are deducted. The Film Collaborative emails tax receipts in PDF format within 30 days of your online donation. The “receipt” that is immediately sent to you from PayPal after you donate is just a payment receipt, not the tax receipt.
Matching Donations
Many companies have matching gift programs and can help you double your donation to a project of your choosing. Sometimes these programs will match a donation up to a year after it was originally made! Check with your employer—if they have a matching gift program, they will provide you with instructions.
End of Year Giving
November, December, and January are big giving months each year. Donors top up their annual giving in November and December. January is a new fiscal year, and some donors start their giving for the next fiscal year early. Some donors even give at the end of the year and again in January since these donations fall into different fiscal years.
Donors tend to make their large year-end donation decisions before the holidays start. In 2024, that means before December 20. TFC can accept donations by wire, ACH, and Zelle until 5:00pm Eastern Time on December 31. Online donations by credit or debit card can be made until 11:59pm Pacific Time on December 31.