“Defiance,” from Paramount Pictures

More than 60 years after I left the Bielski Partisan camp and returned to Novogrudek, I was absolutely thrilled to discover that Paramount Pictures was making a movie about our amazing history. In fact, learning this news was what inspired me to finally share my true story with the world. Written over many years, this book is now more than a memory. It is a book for all to see the courage and resilience of the human spirit.

I have known all my life that resistance to evil is important‚ and that people need to know that some Jews in the Holocaust didn’t go quietly to their deaths, but fought back. I’m very proud of my cousins for establishing the Partisan community, for rescuing even Jews that couldn’t fight, and for living righteous lives in the face of unspeakable evil‚ and proud that I too had a role in this.

My daughter and I made contact with the producer at Paramount, Ed Zwick. We were invited to see a preview just for Bielski family members, where I spoke about my experience as one of the first 25 people in the forest, and as a teenage female fighter with the Bielskis. It is vital to see this story shared with later generations, and I think this movie will be an important way to share what life was like in this forest community of fighters and refugees. Please scroll down to see the movie trailer.

Esia “Essie” Shor