Synopsis Of The Holocaust

When a gifted pianist refuses to play for a sadistic SS Officer at a Nazi concentration camp, she must watch the other prisoners suffer for her defiance.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

It’s 1928. Mosha Gebert is a talent pianist. She admires Beethoven and she plays Ode to Joy. As a young teen, young SS Officer Josef Hanke becomes enchanted by her. After her performance, Josef attempts to meet Mosha, but she refuses.

Years later, during the height of the war, Mosha, now 30 years old, is taken from her home, separated from her family, and sent to a concentration camp where she fights to survive. She learns that her parents were killed, but she doesn’t know if her sister Celina is alive or not.

She’s surprised when SS Officer Josef Hanke takes command

To punish Mosha, Josef makes the women work harder and he refuses to feed them, but Mosha won’t back down. The other women beg her to play. She remains defiant.
The stakes rise when her sister Celina arrives. They are thrilled to be reunited, but soon Josef threatens Celina, as Mosha continues to refuse to play. The terror continues when Josef orders the execution to the men, who gave food to the women.

Mosha agrees to teach music to the other women, including Lotte. When, Elsa learns about Mosha singing banned songs, she punishes her, by beating her in front of the other women. The woman show their support by singing.

Josef is furious with Elsa. Mosha is taken to the infirmary, but Celina is dragged away to a bordello where she’s forced to prostitute herself.

Mosha considers playing to help save her sister, but remains defiant. She angers Josef, who then breaks her finger. Still resolved to die with dignity, Mosha refuses to play. She comes up with a plan to smash her own finger, but Celina, who stops her. She convinces Celina that it’s the right thing to do. However, Elsa catches them. Mosha talks Elsa into smashing her hand. Elsa with pleasure does, but tells Josef that Mosha smashed her own

It’s refreshing to see a smart, strong female heroine, who stands up for what she believes against all odd. The audience embraces her more at the end, than they do in the beginning. This is mainly because of her dialogue and her sense of entitlement. It makes her more abrasive then needed. It would be nice to see a bit more vulnerability and highlight her inner conflict.
Also, if possible, make her a bit more proactive. The idea that she teaches the other prisoners about music and singing is nice, however, one wonders if she could use her talent in other ways. For example, could she secretly exchange lessons for food without feeling like she’s compromising her position. At the end, she uses music to communicate peace and freedom.
Josef is a potentially compelling character. Like the other characters, his dialogue needs to sound sharper, but his obsession with Mosha is intriguing, especially the idea that she reminds him of his mother. With a stronger voice, he can live up to the reputation of being a sadistic and ruthless