The Last Happy Day

The Last Happy Day, released in 2009, is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking documentary film directed by Lynne Sachs. Sachs has consistently demonstrated her ability to push boundaries with her innovative style and unique vision, and The Last Happy Day is no exception. This documentary is not a traditional narrative film; instead, it is an exploration of family history, a meditation on memory, and a reflection on the horror and inescapable legacy of the Holocaust.

This 37-minute film is a continuation of Sachs' exploration of Jewish history, focusing on a story from her own family. The primary subject of the documentary is Sachs' distant cousin, Sandor Lenard. A Hungarian Jew who escaped the Nazis in the 1930s, Lenard immigrated to Rome where he became instrumental in a wartime project of great significance - the translation of a children's version of War and Peace.

Sachs effectively uses Lenard's life and experiences to probe questions about war, peace, literature, and the impact of trauma on individuals and families. Alongside this, she also raises questions about how stories are told and remembered, and how the past shapes and colors the present.

The Last Happy Day is quintessentially a biographical documentary. We are guided through Lenard's life journey, from the moment he left Hungary for Rome, through his challenging but intriguing work during the Second World War, and his subsequent decision to reconstruct animal skeletons for Brazilian museums. But beyond the chronology of his life events, Sachs invites us into the internal struggle of a man grappling with the memory of the Holocaust and his own identity as a European Jew in an era marked by massive collective trauma.

The film also features excerpts from Lenard's letters to Sachs' family, offering an intimate record of his thoughts, fears and hopes. More than just a narration of past events, these letters serve as a form of shared memory, as well as a reminder that humanity and compassion can endure in even the darkest periods of history.

While The Last Happy Day draws on specific historical events and the lived experiences of Sandor Lenard, it also poses universal questions about human nature, our capacity for resilience in the face of devastating life events, and the legacy of trauma on future generations. Sachs uses an eclectic mix of visual and audio formats, including interviews, narration, animation, and family home movies, to depict these themes in a visually captivating and resonant manner.

The fragmented and nonlinear structure of the film reflects the complexity of memory itself. The scenes shift between past and present, reality, and imagination, exploring the boundaries between these usually distinct realms. The children featured in the film, who read from Lenard's translated War and Peace, offer a form of hope and renewal, a counterpoint to the bleakness of the Holocaust memory.

Sachs's work often explores the impact of war, and The Last Happy Day is a remarkable entry in this ongoing exploration. The film ultimately serves as a testament to the power of storytelling and memory. It is a demonstration of how understanding and compassion can be a form of resistance in the face of the inhumanity and violence of war.

The Last Happy Day raises the question - can words and stories make a difference in a world marked by hate, for the people trapped in the cycles of violence and destruction? Sachs answers this question through the story of Lenard's life and work, and through her own filmmaking practices. It is a documentary that not only commemorates the victims of the Holocaust but emphasizes the resilience and defiant humanity within the realm of the tragic historical event.

The haunting and poignant journey that is The Last Happy Day leaves viewers with an enduring impression. It reminds us of the potential value of literature and storytelling as reckoning tools resilient in the face of trauma. It also reaffirms the power of personal narrative in exploring broad, universal themes – making the film not only a historical biography but a masterclass of thematic storytelling. With its beautiful and innovative blend of visuals, narration, and sound, The Last Happy Day is a significant and deeply moving cinematic offering.