Sosúa: Make a Better World

Gr 9 Up—In 1938, the Dominican Republic's Dictator Rafael Trujillo opened the doors of the Caribbean island to 800 Jews escaping the Holocaust. While lauded for this humanitarian act, his not-so-secret hope was that the emigrants would help "whiten" his country's race. Generations later, a group of talented Dominican and Jewish American teens bond through the art of theater as they put on a production about their little-known shared past. Produced by the local YMCA of the culturally divided Washington Heights, New York, and directed by the award-winning Liz Swados, the musical opens the eyes and hearts of these burgeoning thespians, pushing them to rise above prejudice. Following the tradition of Mad Hot Ballroom and Brooklyn Castle, filmmakers Peter Miller and Renée Silverman give us a window into the lives of precocious kids and teens, who through the active participation in a community-building activity, learn to overcome the challenges of their socioeconomic background and forge new paths. Archival film footage from the Dominican rescue effort is interspersed among the colorful clips of rehearsal scenes and forays into the young actors' lives. Viewers will connect with 12-year-old Naomi, a Jewish girl who struggles to sing a musical number that details a Hitler admirer's point of view; they will cheer when they realize that shy and oft-bullied Jordan becomes the play's lead. As students watch the two groups come together to teach each other the merengue and Passover traditions, hopefully they'll see an opportunity for a cross-culture exchange within their own neighborhoods. Perfect for social studies units on the Holocaust, Latin American history, or Hispanic Heritage Month, this film can also be enjoyed by budding actors and theater enthusiasts.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal