“Mirek’s film promises to provide context for his story, and that of countless other Czechs.”
I am pleased to report an exciting development regarding my upcoming documentary premiere at the Czech Embassy Cinema in London on Friday 27 October at 7pm.
After the screening — which will last approximately 50 minutes — Dr Jakub Beneš will be chairing a short Q&A discussion with myself and will open the floor to any questions from the audience.
Dr Beneš is an Associate Professor in Central European History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London. He is a familiar face at the Czech Embassy and, like me, shares a personal family connection to Nazi forced labour — making him the right choice for the job.
Sharing his thoughts on my documentary, Dr Beneš said: “The trailer, though quite short, looks very good.
"Based on it, I can say Mirek seems to have produced a film about a critical, though understudied, aspect of the Second World War in the Czech-speaking lands.
“My grandfather was one of those who ended up in Berlin, part of a forced labour contingent cleaning up rubble after bombing raids. His health never recovered.
“Mirek’s film promises to provide context for his story, and that of countless other Czechs.”
Find out more about Dr Beneš and his work below.
Dr Beneš' area of expertise is Central and Eastern European history in the first half of the twentieth century. He has written extensively about Czech and German nationalism in the Bohemian Lands.
His recent accolades include receiving the 2021 Advancement Award of the Victor-Adler State Prize, which recognises outstanding achievement in the field of social and cultural history.
Originally from Oakland, California, Dr Beneš earned a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College, Vermont and later a PhD in European History from the University of California, Davis.
He has previously taught at the University of Oxford and the University of Birmingham before arriving at UCL SSEES in 2019.
Tickets to my premiere are still on sale at https://rb.gy/oim61 by way of voluntary donation to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal, organised by the British Red Cross.
Follow this blog or my social media channels for future updates. Find the trailer below.
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