SAVED BY A TWIST OF FATE ...
Ernst Van Gelderen was 3 years old as
the year 1942 drew to a close. Little did he know that his life was about to
change forever. He was sent from his parent’s comfortable home to live with two
kind-hearted strangers. His parent’s attempt at hiding him for his safety worked out just as
planned until the fateful evening of September 7, 1943. A Dutch policeman,
serving the Nazis, inspected his new home and noticed Ernst’s name was missing
from the couple’s marriage certificate. He was sent with his fosterparents to the notorious Scheveningen prison, nicknamed the Oranje Hotel and from there to the “Hollandsche
Schouwburg” or Dutch Theater, a foreboding location where 50,000 other Jews
would soon follow in his footsteps. This was the first stop on a march towards
certain death – the deportation center that lead to the Nazi’s concentration
camps. What happened next is nothing short of a miracle ...
My Dutch "Uncle"
This is more than just a story that we're passionate about, Ernst is a long time family friend, the Dutch "brother" to my dad, who has honored me with the opportunity to share his memories with the world.
Ernst wants this to be a learning opportunity that will stand the test of time. We have already set partnerships in motion for future educational screenings of the film at the University of Washington and the Washington State Holocaust Education Center. We have a connection for engaging Dutch holocaust survivors in Seattle to tell their own personal stories at these events.
We would love to set up these types of screenings outside of the Pacific Northwest as well to help share the personal but universal elements of important stories such as Ernst's. Your contribution today will make this future a reality.
If you are interested in setting up a screening in your area please contact us at: Imissedmytrainfilm@gmail.com
The Project
We are creating a 28
minute documentary film with an emphasis on the educational merits and
engaging details of Ernst’s story combined with artistic visual elements.
This film project brings a personal
glimpse inside the challenges faced by Dutch Jews during World War II, while
also speaking to the universal themes of fate and family.
Endorsements
-- "As we move 70 years beyond the tragic events of World War II, it is crucial to preserve the unique personal narratives of those who witnessed them. Ernst’s incredible story is both inspiring and a window into the lasting psychological and social effects—individual, familial, and collective—on those living in the historical wake of trauma. The University of Washington is a major center for interdisciplinary research and teaching on the Holocaust and will be pleased to facilitate academic and public engagement with this important material. I am involved in guiding the pre-production research as a historian of the Netherlands, and I look forward to screening the finished film for the UW community and at other universities in the Seattle area." -- Nicolaas P. Barr Clingan, Ph.D. University of Washington
"I Missed My Train, is a unique and uplifting portrait of Holocaust survival. Like the protagonist himself, the story somehow escapes the crushing weight of history to discover a unexpected realm of tenderness, compassion and universal love. Knowing Elke personally and as a filmmaker, I'm confident her sensitivity and compassion will lend itself ideally to this cinematic ray of light. If she needs support of any kind, I will be there." -- Robinson Devor, Documentary Filmmaker
How to Contribute
Click on the pink contribute button on the right hand side of the page and follow the steps to pay.
Three Stages
1.
Production in Holland
2.
Production in Seattle – For ease of control, budgetary concerns and an additional way to connect the two locations, our reenactment scenes
will be filmed in the Pacific Northwest. The background will be out of focus
and suggestive of the original locations in a style popularized by The History Channel. This will also allow us to focus on
our time with Ernst during the Production in Holland phase.
3.
Post-production in Portland and Seattle – This
will include obtaining any necessary archival photos with permissions, editing,
post-production sound work and an originally composed score. After the film itself is finalized, this stage will move on to include marketing materials, set up of screenings and potential film
festival distribution.
YOU CAN SHARE ERNST'S STORY WITH THE WORLD
We are in need of funds for our Stage 1 production phase in Holland. Help send our small crew to film on location in the Netherlands! Your tax deductible donation will help with the following:
Airfare to and transportation in Holland
Apartment and equipment rental
Living expenses during filming (food, gas etc.)
Locations, permits, hard drives and memory cards
In order to accomplish:
10 days of filming in Amsterdam, The Hague, Laren and Vaals
Hours of interview footage with Ernst
Footage showing Ernst revisiting many of the sites from his memories during the war
A reunion with the family he became forever bonded with during his experiences ...
The Perks -- be a part of forever preserving important historical memories, receive some beautiful artistic work or sign on for a producer credit!
At the conclusion of Stage 1, all contributors will receive a password protected link to a special 5 minute footage preview!
HEARTSTONE STUDIOS
This is just the beginning of the stories that Heartstone Studios wants to tell. We have a passion for combining the beauty and aesthetic of high quality commercial filmmaking with the storytelling and educational opportunities of documentary. Michael Kleven, Kevin DeMunn and myself (Elke Hautala) are a small professional crew with many years of entertainment industry experience under our belts from international documentary work to professional feature films and even administrative work for Twentieth Century Fox. Please check out the Team page for more on the interesting projects that we've been involved in!
FAMILY AND FATE
Ernst has confided in me:
“Since
perhaps some 10 years, the war period has been increasingly on my mind. If I
think about the fact that I was very close to a premature departure from this
world, the question comes to mind: Why me? ... Those are questions that cannot be answered in this life,
so call it coincidence, predestination or karma.”
We may never know why fate
spared little Ernie Van Gelderen that day but it has allowed him to share his
memories of this traumatic time in history.
A whole generation of children was similarly affected and the ripples have been felt like shockwaves far beyond the epicenter. Although many stories have been told about this tragic period in history our intent is to focus on the effects to family and identity while providing an important learning opportunity. If we imagine ourselves in Ernst's shoes, if only for a brief time, we can begin to understand just a little bit more about history, humanity and ourselves.