The Pianist

Based on the life of pianist Władysław Szpilman (1911–2000), this internationally acclaimed, award-winning film presents a devastating portrait of a Jewish man from Warsaw surviving the Holocaust during World War II. It recreates key moments in the history of occupied Warsaw, including the German invasion of Poland in August 1939, the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto in fall 1940, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 1943, and the arrival of Soviet troops in winter 1945. Szpilman survives the destruction of Warsaw, labor camps, and concentration camps largely because of his talent as a pianist and small acts of kindness from Poles, Germans, and Soviets.