Year 9 New Park Cinema Trip to Commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2026

On the 21st January twelve of us from Year 9 attended a trip to the New Park Cinema with Mrs Fowles, organised by the Chichester Marks Holocaust Memorial Day group. The trip consisted of a workshop, and a film. In the workshop, we were instructed to analyse an image from WW2, which we will be studying in History later this term. We sorted the people into categories such as victim, bystander and perpetrator. We then inferred the hierarchical state of the image, and correctly identified the Nazi soldiers, and their marginalized victims. We were then sorted into groups, and given a set of flashcards to sort into the categories mentioned above, finishing with a debate about the hardest card to sort. We came to the conclusion that some bystanders can become perpetrators by doing nothing; as one voice we can feel small, but together, we can stand up against bigotry and hatred. 

This then leads me onto the film we watched afterward, ‘One Life’. To give a brief synopsis, it followed the true story of Nicholas Winton, and his work in WW2, transporting and giving homes to children from Prague, via the Kinder Transport in the midst of Nazi occupation. The children would be given a numerical tag, visa and foster parent in England to take care of them until they could be reunited with their parents. 

Finally, we were given a talk by the chair of the organisation, Clare Apel. She told us about her cousin, who was one of the children saved by Mr Winton, and who would not have survived had it not been for his honourable deed. It was very fascinating to learn of a real life account, but it also left me feeling very pensive. The horrors of the war is something no one should ever have to endure, especially small children. I came back feeling almost altered, and so incredibly lucky to be in a safe place in the world, free of the shackles of wars and genocide. We must never forget the sacrifice of the dead, and the word of the survived. I would hope everyone remembers these horrendous genocides, and strives to prevent those still occurring today. Stand for peace, freedom and justice.

Nova Dossett-Roberts (9Burrows)