The Optimists

Sixty years ago, 50,000 Bulgarian Jews survived the Holocaust because Bulgarian Christians
helped defend them. The Optimists tells the inspiring story of the many individuals who, each in his or her own way, took action to foil the Nazis’ plans to send Bulgarian Jewry to concentration camps.

Yet another European Jewish community -- this one inheritors of the distinctive Sephardic culture of the Jews of medieval Spain -- seemed destined for quick annihilation. But they were spared the fate of most of Europe’s Jewry. The everyday heroes who made this miracle happen included Christians and Muslims from all walks of life: business men, housewives, religious leaders, trade unionists, educators, lawyers, doctors and other professionals, government officials, and many others. Theirs is an especially compelling lesson for today’s world.

The Optimists explores how different ethnic and religious groups stood by each other in Bulgaria even during the Holocaust. Bulgaria's experience offers valuable insight into how people can build bridges between different communities of different ethnic and religious backgrounds and, in so doing, defend human and civil rights.

It is not only a Jewish story. It is a universal one, powerful in its ability to inform and inspire all
audiences.

“A rare documentary . . . compact and elegant.” - Dana Stevens, New York Times

“Uplifting documentary . . . fascinating story.” - Ken Fox, TV Guide

“A miraculous sharp movie.”- Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune

Co-Winner of the Peace Prize, Berlin International Film Festival
First Prize for "Documenting the Jewish Experience," Jerusalem International Film Festival
Winner, CINE Golden Eagle
Best Documentary, Hope and Dreams Film Festival