VIENNA, 26 January 2026 – Directed by Leslie Benitah and Sophie Nahum, The Last Ones of Auschwitz, filmed over seven years, unites 28 of the camp’s last living survivors retracing their journeys from arrest and deportation to survival and remembrance. Through intimate, first-hand testimonies, the film preserves their voices as both a powerful tribute and a lasting warning for future generations.
The screening was organized by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN (Vienna) and with the support of the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme. Following the screening, a panel discussion with experts moderated by Sonja Wintersberger, Officer-in-Charge of UNIS Vienna, took place.
Chief Curator of the Mauthausen Memorial, Christian Dürr, emphasized that survivors’ voices must remain central to remembrance efforts, stressing that “these accounts must be at the heart of our work (…) to create an understanding of what these people have gone through.” He underscored the urgency of safeguarding both the sites and the testimonies themselves, adding that preserving survivors’ accounts is “crucial” to protecting historical truth for future generations.
Shelly Eliaz, Representative of the Holocaust remembrance initiative ‘Zikaron BaSalon’ (‘Remembrance in the Living Room’), highlighted the importance to rethink of how Holocaust testimonies are passed on. Projects like Zikaron BaSalon move beyond a formal setting to “a different and more personal place to share”, where survivors and later generations speak directly to small groups. She noted that these intimate encounters allow people “to hear and listen and to know more”, creating space to keep family stories alive and making remembrance more immediate and meaningful for new audiences.
Rifka Junger, who coordinates Holocaust remembrance activities at the Austrian Parliament, stressed that remembrance must go beyond portraying tragedy alone. For her, it was important “to show Jewish life —who are we talking about” and “not just to show the negative side” of antisemitism and the Holocaust, since too often “we speak about the tragedies without speaking about the people behind it”. With rising antisemitism and denial, she added that “everybody needs to remember”, and underscoring the urgent need for education that humanizes history rather than reducing it to loss alone.
All panellists emphasized the urgent need to preserve and share survivor testimonies in meaningful, personal ways, underscoring remembrance, education, and human connection as essential tools to combat antisemitism and safeguard historical truth for future generations.
A second screening of the film took place at the Vienna International Centre alongside a commemorative ceremony to mark the International Day at the United Nations in Vienna, organized in cooperation with the Permanent Missions of Israel and Austria, featuring musical performances and a testimony of Holocaust survivor Dr. Erika Freeman. More information here.
Photo: The Last Ones of Auschwitz
