LIGHT IN A WORLD GONE DARK

This Ordinary Thing — a documentary that doesn’t feel like one

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“Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world.” This quote from the Talmud — the book of Jewish wisdom — underpins This Ordinary Thing. Going in, I knew the basic premise: a documentary about Jews who were hidden from the Nazis by non-Jews, or Gentiles, who chose to help during World War II. I’ve seen and heard many, many stories like these and wondered how this film would handle such familiar yet vital history.

Boys in the Ghetto

After a short prologue placing us in the proper historical context and reminding us that over six million Jews were murdered simply because they were Jewish — a barbarity that far too many people ignored at the time — the film shifts focus to those who did care. We are transported back to a world where the unthinkable was terrifyingly normalized, and yet there were ordinary people who refused to accept that reality. In their own words, we hear how they risked their lives and the lives of their families to protect, hide, or save as many Jews as they could. They never saw themselves as heroes. They simply believed they had to do the right thing.

Subject Alex Roslan (voiced by Jeremy Irons) and wife

It’s a documentary, but it doesn’t feel like one. There is no narration. The stories by the very people who lived them unfold in firsthand narratives, brought vividly to life by a splendid ensemble of some of our finest actors: F. Murray Abraham, Ellen Burstyn, Carrie Coon, Stephen Fry, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeremy Irons, Bill Irwin, John Leguizamo, Helen Mirren, Bebe Neuwirth, David Hyde Pierce, Lily Tomlin — the list goes on. Their voices overlay images of the real-life subjects, and rather than coming across as ghosts of the past, these survivors and rescuers feel present, almost as if they’re speaking to us over a cup of tea across a kitchen table.

Woman With Star

Director Nick Davis crafts the film with extraordinary care. It is never angry — it is gentle — and though profoundly sad, it carries an unexpected sense of uplift. Cinematographer Peter Peregrine’s new footage is seamlessly intertwined with archival material by editor Josh Freed, so much so that I often couldn’t tell them apart. Adam Guettel (grandson of Richard Rodgers) contributes a haunting score that subtly but powerfully amplifies the emotional weight.

Subject Maria Countess Von Maltzan (voiced by Ellen Burstyn)

In This Ordinary Thing, we feel as though we are there, inside the horror — not witnessing shadows, but living alongside real human beings whose courage shines through the darkest chapters of history. And what’s most chilling: the film holds up a mirror to today, suggesting how frighteningly close we remain to such hatred and indifference.

Nazi Soldiers

Do we really need another film about Jews and Nazis? The answer is a resounding yes. This is a story that must continue to be told, heard, and remembered. Do yourself a favor — see This Ordinary Thing.

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photos courtesy of Series of Dreams
subject portraits by Gay Block

This Ordinary Thing
Albert M. Tapper and Series of Dreams
opens December 5 at Cinema Village, NYC, followed by a theatrical roll out
releases March 31, 2026, nationwide in US/Canada on VOD
for more info, visit This Ordinary Thing

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