U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Opens Display of Artifacts Discovered During the Making of the Documentary, `Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport,` on Sept. 8

Display to Coincide With Sept. 15 Release of the Film from Warner Bros. Pictures

WASHINGTON D.C.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Aug. 30, 2000--Beginning Sept. 8, to coincide with the Sept. 15 limited release of Sabine Films` and Warner Bros. Pictures` feature documentary, ''Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport,'' a rare collection of objects discovered during the making of the film will be on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.

The display, called ''Kindertransport,'' will run through Sept. 24. On Sept. 11, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will host the East Coast premiere of the film. Joining producer Deborah Oppenheimer and writer/director Mark Jonathan Harris will be several of the Kinder (''children,'' in German) featured in the film and brought together for the first time.

For nine months prior to the outbreak of World War II, in an unprecedented act of mercy, Britain conducted an extraordinary rescue effort known as the Kindertransport.

Approximately 10,000 endangered children from Germany, Austria, occupied Czechoslovakia and Poland were taken into foster homes and hostels in Britain, expecting eventually to be reunited with their parents. The majority of the children never saw their families again.

''Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport'' is a feature documentary about the 1938-1939 rescue operation and its dramatic impact on the lives of the children who were saved.

Told in the words of the child survivors, rescuers, parents and foster parents, these are the stories of those who survived with the help of others; they are stories of courage and hope, stories about the strength and resolve of children.

The children in the Kindertransport operation were allowed a single suitcase and rucksack in which to pack all the things they would need for their time away from their parents. Producer Oppenheimer and writer/director Harris interviewed hundreds of the rescued children, now parents and grandparents themselves, 12 of whom appear on camera.

For an opening and packing sequence in the film, many volunteered the cherished artifacts carried in their suitcases, including letters, photos, books, documents, baby shoes, hand-knit sweaters, embroidered linens and toys.

The trust that developed during the making of the film, combined with their desire to tell their stories, prompted many of the Kinder to lend these items to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for this moving display.

Narrated by Oscar winner Judi Dench (''Shakespeare In Love''), ''Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport'' is written and directed by Harris, writer and director of the Academy Award-winning feature documentary ''The Long Way Home,'' and producer Oppenheimer.

Of the 10,000 children who were saved, one of them was the mother of producer Oppenheimer. A successful producer for television (''The Drew Carey Show'') and president of Mohawk Productions, Oppenheimer`s experience making the film was likewise a journey of discovery for herself and for many of the people she met along the way.

The Sabine Films Production is edited by Kate Amend, who previously worked with Harris on ''The Long Way Home.'' Music is by Emmy Award-winner Lee Holdridge (''The Long Way Home,'' ''The Tuskegee Airmen''). The director of photography is Don Lenzer (''Maya Lin: A Strong, Clear Vision,'' ''The Long Way Home,'' Emmy Award winner for ''ER''). Sound design is by Academy Award-winner Gary Rydstrom, whose
work on this film follows a career encompassing some of the biggest films of all time (''Saving Private Ryan,'' ''Titanic''). The film is released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, www.intothearmsofstrangers.com.

The film was produced in cooperation with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America`s national institution for the documentation, study and interpretation of Holocaust history and serves as this country`s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust. Since April 1993, the museum has welcomed more than 14.6 million visitors. To learn more about the museum, visit www.ushmm.org.