‘Hitler’s Jewish Soldier?’, the latest documentary from Mint Pictures, premieres on February 8 on SBS.
It tells the staggering story of Melbourne’s Alex Kurzem, who claimed he witnessed his family being massacred in Byelorussia in 1941, escaped to the freezing forest as a young boy but was captured by a Latvian battalion who – instead of killing him – made him their toy soldier, their ‘Mascot’.
Somehow, he managed to hide his Jewish identity and dupe the battalion into believing he was a Russian orphan. The battalion, which was later absorbed into the Waffen-SS, gave him a new name, a fake birth date, mini unform and a shorn-off gun.
After the war he emigrated to Australia and kept his secret for 50 years before revealing it to his family. It set off a search for his real identity, which resulted in multiple false names, a family reunion that wasn’t and a DNA revelation with a blistering sting in the tail.
What unfolds is a gripping true crime-esque investigation. It follows director Dan Goldberg as he delves into the mystery of the man dubbed ‘The Mascot’ and the decade-long search by Dr Barry Resnick, who didn’t believe the story, and Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, a renowned American forensic genealogist who cracked the DNA code to reveal his true family.
It is the first in the network’s premium documentary series, Australia Uncovered.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Green Guide gave the series four stars. Good Weekend has published this feature article.
The feature version of the documentary, titled ‘The Jewish Nazi?’, won best feature documentary at the Cannes World Film Festival in November. It is a finalist in the Screen Producers Australia awards.
It was financed by SBS, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. Abacus Media is the distributor.
