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When Jody Savin and Randall Miller, a husband-and-wife filmmaking duo who created “Bottle Shock,” stumbled across Trudie Strobel, they knew they had encountered someone special.
Strobel, a Holocaust survivor, was saved in the camps thanks to a needle and thread. Her mother was a master seamstress and used her gift to help her child cheat certain death. Years later, when Strobel was working through her feelings about her experience during the Holocaust, she again turned to a needle and thread – this time, to emerge from a deep depression about her past.
“I had to do something to feel better,” Strobel said. “Stitching was the best form of therapy for me.”
Strobel started making beautiful tapestries. These works caught the eye of Savin, an award-winning writer, and filmmaker. She collaborated with photographer Ann Elliott Cutting to create the book, Stitched & Sewn: The Life-Saving Art of Holocaust Survivor Trudie Strobel.
Supported by a grant from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, the book not only showcases Strobel’s work but also seeks to help others process trauma and other hardships in their lives.
“All my life, I’ve looked at art to try to see the world through a different lens and reframe my own thinking,” Strobel said. “A wonderful piece of art can be therapeutic. It can calm you down or just be so awe-inspiring that you recognize the majesty of the world. It’s truly a spiritual experience.”
To get the word out about Strobel’s designs – and combat antisemitism at the same time – Savin and Miller are teaming up to make a documentary about Strobel, antisemitism, and the Holocaust. Savin and Strobel continue to travel to speak with students at high schools and colleges about the Holocaust. This comes at a time when only 19 out of 50 states have Holocaust education, and antisemitism is increasing at an alarming rate.
“We know that Trudie’s story is going to touch people’s souls and help them understand the Holocaust,” said Savin. “And filmmaking is a way to capture people’s attention and show the negative impact hate has on individuals and societies.”
It helps that Strobel is a well-known public figure who has appeared in Jewish media and on CBS2 and KCAL9 in California, where she lives. She also gave a Holocaust survivor testimony at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and received a History for Today commendation from the County of Los Angeles.
Strobel drew strength through creating art, and now Savin hopes that people can gain strength through watching this upcoming film. Savin is passionate about telling stories that may not otherwise be told and using art to make the world a kinder place for everyone.
“I’m excited about the prospect of seeing Trudie’s incredible designs on the big screen, as well as pushing for more education around antisemitism and the Holocaust,” she said. “With this film, we hope to change people’s minds and put an end to antisemitism and hate once and for all.”
