Nicholas Winton was recently featured on CBS 60 Minutes. Dixie and I had earlier that same week watched the 2011 Czech documentary film (96 minutes / English-speaking) directed by Matej Mináč.
It is a most inspiring film! It is now available in DVD and I recommend it highly to everyone. Certainly your 50+ Ministry audiences will thank you for acquainting with this amazing story, of which Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic said, “It is the best documentary I have ever seen.” The following synopsis is taken from http://www.menemshafilms.com/nickys-family.
“Nicky’s Family tells the nearly forgotten story of Nicholas Winton, an Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II.
Winton, now 105 years old, did not speak about these events with anyone for more than half a century. His exploits would have probably never have been revealed if his wife, fifty years later, had not found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents and transport plans.
Today the story of this rescue is known all over the world. He was knighted by the Queen Elisabeth II and the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 583 recognizing his remarkable deed.
Winton’s story is a very emotional one, and thousands of children in many countries have decided to follow in his footsteps and do something important. They think up various charity projects and even help in the saving of lives of undernourished and sick children in Cambodia and Africa.
120,000 children in the Czech Republic signed a petition to award Nicholas Winton the Nobel Prize for Peace. Dozens of Winton’s “children” have been found and to this day his “family” has grown to almost 6,000 people, many of whom have gone on to achieve great things themselves.
It is incredible that all these people live due to the heroic deeds of one man – Sir Nicholas Winton. Producers Matej Minac and Patrik Pass set out to ensure these fascinating, little-known stories and precious facts about the rescue mission are not lost to time. They wanted also to show the unique phenomenon that has emerged from Winton’s story, how his courageous acts many years ago continue to influence people from all over the world and motivate them to do good.
Their film demonstrates that members of Nicky’s Family are not only the thousands of people who owe their lives to Sir Nicholas Winton, but also all those who want to do something positive for our world.
Nicky’s Family has earned rave reviews from audiences and critics around the world, winning over 30 awards – including 14 audience awards from U.S. film festivals!”
In its review, Patheos states: “The children whom Winton helped save have grown up to be academics, members of parliament, scientists, artists, and more. Many have begun their own families and tried to instill in their children a sense of the moral obligation that comes with the recognition of the sacredness and fragility of life. As the film documents their contributions to society, I was struck by the ways in which time can magnify our deeds, showing us the larger consequences of what we thought were small achievements and the breathtaking scope of the ripples emanating from our best efforts.”
I say, Amen, to this. I am once again inspired and awestruck by the difference one person can make. This is the story of an ordinary 29-year-old man who turned a two-week “spontaneous” vacation into the saving of 669 children otherwise destined for destruction and death. It is a clear reminder that our lives are much more powerful than we normally think. In God’s hands, what happens in our everyday can make the difference in the destinies of one or many!
*Image of Sir Nicholas Winton statue at courtesy of Peter Reed, Flickr.com.
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