New Nazi documentary evokes refugees’ plight

By HOLLY RAMER

Associated Press

KEENE, N.H.

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns hopes his newest project will prompt viewers to think about how the United States should respond to the world’s refugee crisis.

Burns is co-director of “Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War.” The film tells the story of a Massachusetts couple who rescued refugees and dissidents in Europe before and after the start of World War II. It airs on PBS tonight at 9, the day President Barack Obama and other world leaders host a summit aimed at securing new commitments to support refugees.

The parallels to today weren’t lost on Burns, who directed the film with the couple’s grandson. He says he hopes viewers will consider how to help others in need.

The couple’s grandson learned their remarkable story in part through the work of researchers connected to Keene State College in New Hampshire.