The Children of Chabannes

Rescue, Refugees, & Moral Courage

This is the story of how the people of Chabannes, a tiny village in unoccupied France, chose action over indifference and saved the lives of 400 Jewish refugee children during World War II. Inspired by a reunion more than 50 years after the war, Lisa Gossels (My So-Called Enemy), and co-director Dean Wetherell, travel to Chabannes with Lisa's father Peter and uncle Werner (two of the saved children).

The film tells the story of how the teachers and townspeople, children of the French Revolution - who believed in the values of "liberty and equality" - worked with the OSE (Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants), a Jewish child welfare organization, to shelter, nurture, and educate the children. Through intimate interviews with historians, teachers, OSE employees and "children" of Chabannes, the filmmakers recreate the joys and fears of daily life in the village.

When a round-up led by the Vichy police leads to the deportation of 6 children in August of 1942, the oasis of hope is shattered. Through moving accounts by the extraordinary teachers who taught and loved these children, the film shows the remarkable efforts made by the citizens of Chabannes, who risked their lives and livelihoods to make sure that not one other child became a victim of the war.

Winner, Emmy Award - Outstanding Historical Programming

"A moving record of the unassuming, uncompromising heroism of ordinary people." - The New York Times

"One of the most heartening Holocaust films ever made: splendid, informative and emotionally involving." - The Los Angeles Times