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1944: A young Frances Fabri has managed to survive the daily selections at Auschwitz while other prisoners in her barracks are put to death. Overwhelmed by the horror of her situation, she has escaped into the delusion that in time she will be free again. Johann, a Nazi commandant responsible for the selection and extermination of the prisoners, begins to crack under the horror of daily camp life and the pressure to perpetuate it.

Word of the impending Allies’ victory spreads; orders are sent from Berlin to expedite the disposal of prisoners and wrap up operations. Frances’ fantasy that she will survive the camp unravels one friend at a time. She must face the crushing truth of her circumstances and impending fate. Johann also feels the ironic powerlessness of his life, obeying orders that destroy his soul. Prisoner and oppressor are on a collision course. They must both come to accept their fates, acknowledge their truths and understand the paradoxical nature of freedom. In her absolute surrender, Frances witnesses the innate and pure quality of the human spirit, that which transcends mankind in its worst moments.

Producer’s Statement

Genocide cannot occur without the active participation or the passive enabling of the general population. This conclusion is troubling because if ordinary people are capable of the evil that led to the Holocaust, then other genocides can happen today. This film explores the lessons of personal choice and empathy.

We approach this important project mindful of the prophetic words of famed Nazi hunter and Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal: “We must be ever wary of those who do not take responsibility for their actions. And we ourselves must be extra vigilant that we do not delegate our thinking to others, particularly in this day of accelerated technological power, heightened state surveillance, fear of “the other” and global corporate reach.”

“Crickets Would Sing” offers an unprecedented opportunity for prospective donors to participate in a unique educational initiative that holds the potential to transform how young people the world over learn about the Holocaust and contemporary genocide.