Author Archives: onno

Saturday, September 8th, 2018 @ 6BC Botanical Garden

• I Ain’t Lazy, I’m Just Dreamin’ 
  2015, 
  7 minutes
  A concept music video that harkens back (…or forward?) to a time of hobo prophets, mulligan stew, orange ladies, bowery boys, bawdy vaudeville acts, and the fuzz. A burlesque club musician en route to work imagines magical dreams . . . or is he living them? Featuring cameos by several Downtown NYC filmmakers and performers. 
  Director: Bill Poznanski
• SunnySide Up
  2003,
  26 minutes
  A comedy from NYC… Where do babies come from? Marie doesn’t want to know, but she’s going to find out. 
  Director: Charles Krezell
• Downfall 
  1989, 
  6 minutes
  An experimental documentary, shot between 1988-1989. The East Village May Day protests, interspersed with New York City Marathon footage. The demolition and beginnings of gentrification in Alphabet City… a neighborhood under siege. 
  Director: Kris Enos
• Willow Weep For Me
  2017, 
  8 minutes
  After 41 years of Cher, a willow tree beloved by her community and strongly identified with La Plaza, she’s dismantled for the neighborhood safety. Her life is celebrated with a wake in the garden, officiated by community members. 
  Director: Alvah Holmes
• Mahagonny Songspiel Animation Reel 
  2018, 
  5 minutes
  Hand-painted animation inspired by Kurt Weill and Berthold Brecht’s early operatic work. The city of Mahagonny offers prosperity, but its citizens prove to be its undoing. 
  Director: Klay-James Enos
• Penelope & Kennedy 
  2017 
  19 minutes
  Two women face the challenges of their unique relationship. 
  Director: Anthony Laura

As soon as I met the Neiger family, and heard their incredible story, I knew I had to make this film.

I was so moved by their story, I was brought to tears. My goal is to honor their journey.

Tax Deductible Donations

  ~ Email me for info: JohnRokosny@gmail.com 

I want to create a film that will tell the story of one family, in their own words, as a voice for every family who went through this atrocity – and to honor those who survived, and remember, with deep reverence, those who did not.

I want to share this story so it will never be forgotten. 

Go Fund Me Page

“They Survived Together” is a story of endurance, unity and hope. 

“They Survived Together ” is the incredible, true story of the survival of the Neiger family, as they desperately try to stay together as a family while escaping the Nazi invasion of Poland.

The Neigers were living a peaceful life in a tight-knit Jewish community in Krakow when the arrival of World War II changed their life forever.

When Nazi soldiers forced the Neiger family from their home and into the harsh life of the Ghetto, they made a vow to escape together and survive as a family.

The family was able to stick together, from their daring escape from the Ghetto, through arduous treks through snow-covered mountains, to illegal border crossings, and brutal work camps. 

But when circumstances forced the family to separate from their older brother Ben, the family’s will to survive was put to the test.  

Siblings Cesia, Benjamin, Hanka, Basia, and Tosia remained together as a family well into thier senior years, supporting each other while dealing with the horrors of the memory of the Holocaust.  

This film tells their story, in their words, from their hearts. 

We are seeking funding to finish the production phase of “They Survived Together”.  We will  continue to interview the siblings and relatives, film family gatherings and events. We will organize and catalogue historical footage and photos.

We are so fortunate to have this first-hand account of their incredible journey.  

Our mission is educational – to create a film that will tell the true story of one family, in their own words, as a voice for every family who went through this atrocity – and to honor those who survived, and remember, with deep reverence, those who did not. 

The film is intended for screenings in Jewish institutions, schools and museums, to preserve this true family story of the Holocaust.