The Parade
Directed by Ted Wachtel, illustration and story by Si lewen
Animation (War/Peace)
2007 | 8m | USA
www.silewen.org

Synopsis:  Artist Si Lewen, now 89, fled Hitler's Germany for America, then fought the Nazis with the U.S. Army. The Parade, based on his 1950 series of 55 drawings, tells the story of recurring war as Lewen saw it, watching the parades after World War I lead inexorably to the death marches of World War II. About the book, Albert Einstein wrote Lewen: “Our time needs you and your work.” The Parade imbues Lewen's images with motion and a haunting soundtrack, expressing the futility and brutality of war.

About the Director:  At the heart of The Parade is Si Lewen’s art. The film's director and producer, Ted Wachtel, founder and president of the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), transformed Lewen’s work into film after publishing the 2007 50th-anniversary book edition of The Parade. In 2006, Lewen donated his remaining paintings and book rights to the IIRP (www.iirp.org), a graduate school and training and consulting organization based in Bethlehem, Pa., to support its mission: “restoring and building community in an increasingly disconnected world.” Wachtel is also co-founder of CSF Buxmont schools and programs for troubled youth and co-author of the bestseller Toughlove. Other IIRP-produced films include Beyond Zero Tolerance: Restorative Practices in Schools; Burning Bridges; and Toxic Talk: From Betrayal to Trust in a Workplace.

Screening Times: Neville / Wed 7 PM, Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 5 PM