The story of Jews who fought back against the Nazis and maintained their humanity

Rating: 9/10 (29 September 2010)

In western Russia, a band of Jewish partisans fought to survive rather than allow themselves to be herded into death camps by the SS. Defiance is their story.
Is it all true? Who knows? Does it really matter? This much has been established; a band of 1,200 people hid out in the Russian forest for four years. They set up a community with a hospital and other institutions that enabled them to survive the war while loosing only about 50 of their number.
The film, with unflinching clarity, shows the choices people must make in order to survive the onslaught of a deadly and ruthless enemy. Thanks to their example and many like them, in the future, Jews will be harder to kill.