Island on Bird Street

A forerunner to "The Pianist," this story of survival and the triumph of the human spirit is epitomized in the experiences of a Jewish boy in a Polish ghetto, ravaged by WWII. Ordered his father, who is captured by the Nazis, to “stay put,” 11-year old Alex makes a home for himself in a ramshackle hut perched on roof beams in the ghetto ruins with a pet mouse to keep him company. Driven by need, he ventures outside, and makes friends with Stasya, a Polish girl. At one point, his home serves as shelter for a wounded resistance fighter, and he is forced to defend his hideout and fight back against the Nazis. As the season’s change, Alex keeps watch and vigil, refusing to give up hope of his fathers return.