EMPATHY IS AN ACTION

UnBroken is more than a documentary film — it is an invitation to remember, to feel and to choose who we become in the face of injustice. Through the extraordinary true story of the Weber siblings — the only known group of seven Jewish siblings to both survive Nazi Germany and emigrate together — UnBroken sparks urgent conversations about empathy, memory and moral responsibility.

Our Impact Campaign is designed to transform viewing into action — empowering educators, students and communities to engage deeply with the film’s themes and apply them to the world we live in today. Audiences are invited to examine humanity at its most fragile and most courageous, as we consider how our stories shape the choices we make today.

WHY NOW?

Director, Beth Lane, decided to make UnBroken in the summer of 2017.

Three weeks later, white supremacists stormed the small town of Charlottesville, VA. The local and federal governments could have prevented the melee. They did not. They also did not empathically denounce the many travesties that followed.

Still, antisemitism was not raging until October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel in unprecedented savagery. 24 hours after those attacks, UnBroken, synchronistically, had its world premiere at The Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. One week later, our film won Best Documentary Feature Premiere.

Over 50 cities later, a nationwide release in NYC & LA, UnBroken launched on Netflix in North America on April 23rd, 2025. For a brief 24 hours, our film ranked #5 in top 10 movies in the US. The response was immediate and overwhelming — because UnBroken is not just a historical film.

It speaks to the heart of humanity.

As antisemitism, racism and indifference continue to rise, meaningful Holocaust education is more urgent than ever — yet access and implementation remain uneven. UnBroken, paired with its Learning Guide, offers an accessible way to explore the lived experience of children during genocide, the moral choices faced by victims and rescuers, and the lasting consequences of prejudice. Through guided discussion and reflection, storytelling becomes a bridge — using art to foster understanding, while understanding strengthens the muscles of empathy & compassion.

UnBroken asks:

• When faced with injustice, who do you become?

• What does it mean to be an upstander rather than a bystander?

• How do memory, empathy and storytelling shape our moral choices?

UnBroken was made not to offer easy answers — but to spark dialogue and inspire action across generations. A healing salve that only the arts can offer, trauma and hope are blended to serve all ages and all faiths, including those who don’t subscribe to any religion.

UnBroken creates space for connection, reflection and healing across families and communities.

UnBroken highlights everyday courage and reveals how ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things, such as standing up for others, especially those who have been marginalized.

UnBroken utilizes storytelling and reflection to support individuals in strengthening the muscles of compassion and active listening while developing a deeper understanding of how they navigate the world.

UnBroken models how remembering the past can inspire empathy, responsibility and forward action today.

All materials are modular, trauma-informed and adaptable to diverse learning environments, including participants without access to biological family histories.

EDUCATIONAL & IMPACT TOOLS

At the heart of the campaign is the UnBroken Learning Guide, developed in partnership with Journeys in Film.
[Chasing Coral, Crip Camp & Schindler’s List..]

Featured Impact Modules Include:

Everyday Courage: The Impact of Upstanders
Explore what motivates people to act — and how small choices can create meaningful change.

The Power of Storykeeping & Archival Activism
Learn how preserving stories, photographs, letters and oral histories combats erasure and honors lived experience.

Empathy as a Practice: Listening, Reflecting, Acting
Build empathic skills through creative engagement, guided discussion and meditative reflection.

Preserving Memory Through Mixed Media
Examine how film, animation, archival research, music and oral testimony work together to tell stories responsibly and powerfully.

EACH SECTION INCLUDES:

• Driving questions

• Personal reflection prompts

• Discussion guide

• Extension activities

• Creative and community-based projects

Bring people together for a campus, community or theatrical screening followed by a facilitated discussion using the UnBroken Learning Guide.

Integrate Learning
Use standards-aligned resources that deepen understanding of democracy, history and media literacy.

Engage in Storykeeping
Participants are invited to create community archives through empathy maps, oral histories, zines or other creative responses inspired by UnBroken.

Become an Upstander
Translate reflection into action — whether through civic engagement, community care, advocacy or meaningful everyday acts of courage.