Judith Golden owned and ran a small hotel, and her husband Leo Fleischmann had a successful textile business in Memel, Lithuania. Being Jewish was not a liability in this port city on the Baltic Sea, yet Adolf Hitler had ambitions beyond what anyone could know when he ascended to power in 1933. "Leaving Memel: Refugees from the Reich" tells the story of Judith Golden's family and what they experienced when times changed and Hitler began demonizing Jews, homosexuals and Romani in Europe. It's a small, personal memoir tucked inside a much larger, darker tale and has strong resonance today as anti-immigration fervor reaches new highs under out present leadership. It's also a story of survival, great timing and strong family bonds that make the difference between life and death.

Directed by Fred Finkelstein
United States, 2018
Documentary, Jewish Culture, Jewish History, World War II
English, Lithuanian (with English subtitles)
42 minutes