New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The new Sunn Stream "Original" film, "Symphony of the Holocaust" will be featured at the 11th Annual Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival on Monday, March 11, 2024 at 7:00pm. This special event will honor the hope, triumphs and world-renowned musical career of child violin prodigy and Holocaust Survivor Shony Alex Braun's life, and include a screening of this new documentary, followed by an intermission, live musical performance, and cast and crew Q and A.
Los Angeles-based Director Greg DeHart's feature-length "Symphony of the Holocaust" documentary is a must-see film that highlights the inspiring example of Shony Alex Braun, who miraculously survived four concentration camps, and wrote a symphony about his experiences. Shony was only 13 years old when separated from his mother and sister at the Auschwitz gates, who were tragically murdered in the gas chambers.
While in captivity, Shony was ordered to carry dead bodies to the crematorium, and composed the "Symphony of the Holocaust" in his mind as a way to escape the horrors of war. Shony believed that he survived Dachau by playing the violin for the Nazis. Sadly, his father and brother were also murdered in the death camps. This film is a haunting, yet hopeful testament to the memory of the millions of Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II.
After the war, Shony and his wife Shari Mendelovits (also a survivor) immigrated to the United States, became proud U.S. citizens, started a loving family, and moved to Los Angeles. This violin prodigy wrote 200 musical works and performed for Kings, Queens and Presidents. Shony's "Symphony of the Holocaust" was his "masterpiece", and he longed to play it at Auschwitz.
Braun first performed his symphony in Los Angeles in 1988, and it was later nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Music. Unfortunately, Shony died from pneumonia in 2002 before fulfilling his final wish.
In 2023, Sunn Stream President and Executive Producer Garrett Sutton greenlit the "Symphony of the Holocaust" film. In this documentary, Shony's family goes on a bittersweet journey to first locate his prized violin that was on loan to Armenian violinist Erik Ghukasyan. The family then travels to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp gates to fulfill Shony's final wish by having his "Symphony of the Holocaust" played by Erik "to bring some beauty with Shony's music to this horrific place".
When asked "Who was Shony Braun?", daughter Dinah Braun Griffin expressed her love and admiration by emphasizing, "My dad was a hero to me. He focused his life on joy and forgiveness, rarely spoke about the war, and practiced violin 3-4 hours per day."
Director DeHart adds, "We hope this film resonates with people because it is a universal story across cultures and time periods about a unique triumph. We have an Armenian violinist Erik Ghukasyan fulfilling a Jewish Holocaust survivor's dream. Shony's daughter, Dinah married a Christian, and Shony's former violin restorer and good friend, was German."
To reach a worldwide audience, this Sunn Stream "Original" documentary premiered on January 27, 2024, and is now also available to watch on SunnStream.com streaming service, and on multiple platforms, including Apple TV, IOS, Google Play, Roku, and Amazon.
LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE:
After the 71-minute film screening, Dr. Noreen Green (Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony) will conduct the premiere of a chamber version of the "Symphony of the Holocaust" with Armenian violinist Erik Ghukasyan playing with an orchestra. This special event will be the debut of Erik Ghukasyan performing the entirety of Shony's 15-minute "Symphony of the Holocaust" on Shony's prized violin. Along with playing in the orchestra, Jonathan Rubin of Robert Cauer Violins will be providing Shony Alex Braun's violin for this special performance. Dr. Noreen Green, Erik Ghukasyan and Jonathan Rubin are also featured in the film.
EVENT INFORMATION:
WHAT: "Symphony of the Holocaust" Documentary Screening, Live Musical Performance and Q and A
WHEN: Monday, March 11, 2024, 7:00pm
WHERE: 11th Annual Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival, Palm Springs Cultural Center (formerly known as The Camelot Theater), 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
FILM SCREENING: After the 71-minute full-length feature documentary screening, there will be a brief intermission.
LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: Dr. Noreen Green (Los Angeles Jewish Symphony) will conduct the 15-minute "Symphony of the Holocaust" featuring Armenian violinist Erik Ghukasyan and an orchestra that is being sponsored by Desert Oasis Heathcare.
Q and A: Emmy® and IDA Award-Winning Director Greg DeHart, Armenian Violinist Erik Ghukasyan, Conductor Dr. Noreen Green and members of Shony Alex Braun's family
EVENT TICKETS:
https://www.palmspringsjewishfilmfestival.org/films/symphony-of-the-holocaust
RAVE REVIEWS:
The film's power lies ultimately in the message of forgiveness that shines through - that choosing music over death, beauty over ugliness, love over hate transcends division and brings people together. - Jennifer Hambrick, WOSU Public Media / NPR, Classical 101's Midday Host
The "Symphony of the Holocaust" documentary really is remarkable. It's not only an emotional journey for the family, but the viewer, as well. The world needs to know Shony Alex Braun's story! - Jenna Jordan, Spectrum News 1 Ohio
WORLD PREMIERE RECAP
VIDEO: Symphony of the Holocaust: Out Now on Sunn Stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOUi9nPxvD8
WHERE to WATCH this Sunn Stream "Original" film exclusively online:
"Symphony of the Holocaust" (2024, Sunn Stream)
https://www.sunnstream.com/symphony
Sunn Stream is more than a streaming platform - it's a journey into hallowed halls of untold stories. Formed in August 2022, Sunn Stream was created as a community of human content providers offering personal growth, great music and exceptional entertainment. Many creators today lack points of distribution, so Sunn Stream will create and distribute its own offerings without resorting to artificial intelligence for content creation. More than anything, Sunn Stream is your place to get lost in a spell-binding selection of movies, documentaries, and shows. And when the credits roll, the fun is just beginning. https://www.sunnstream.com
