Next Stage Arts presents a screening of Julia Mintz’s award-winning documentary film “Four Winters,” on Tuesday, October 3, at 7:00 pm. Next Stage Arts is at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, VT. Tickets are $10, and are available at nextstagearts.org. For more information, call 802-387-0102 or visit nextstagearts.org.

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“This film is a testament to the human spirit of survival against all odds,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We love presenting a wide range of content through Next Stage, and this film is an extension of that commitment to the diverse options presented to our community. In an effort to not forget our history, this film supports our understanding of our shared humanity.”

Four Winters

Torn from their families by the ravages of Hitler’s armies, men and women, many barely in their teens, escaped into the forests, banding together in partisan brigades; engaging in treacherous acts of sabotage, blowing up trains, burning electric stations, and attacking armed enemy headquarters. Against extraordinary odds, over 25,000 Jewish partisans courageously fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators from deep within the forests of WWII’s Belarus, Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

The last surviving partisans relive their journey in FOUR WINTERS, sharing their stories of resistance. Director Julia Mintz shines a spotlight on their transformation from young innocents raised in closely knit Jewish communities and families, to becoming fierce partisan soldiers with enduring hope, grit, magnificent courage and deep humanity.

Faye Schulman

Featuring the photography of Faye Schulman, partisan photographer clad in her signature leopard coat, and through a fusion of inspiring and powerful first-person interviews with stunning archival footage, FOUR WINTERS uncovers secrets held for lifetimes, revealing a heartfelt narrative of heroism, determination and resilience.

Julia Mintz

Director Julia Mintz’s work focuses on narratives of bravery and resistance against unimaginable odds. She has been on the producing teams for films which have been shortlisted for the Academy Awards, have premiered at Cannes, Sundance and TriBeCa, and won Emmy, Peabody and festival awards. Her films can be seen on HBO, PBS, American Masters, NETFLIX, Amazon, and are shown on college campuses across the country. She has taught seminars and workshops worldwide, and has held an adjunct faculty position at LIU in NYC. Mintz has been a featured keynote and guest speaker for engagements in both the public and private sectors. Julia Mintz is an award-winning artist and an accomplished multi-grant recipient for her work in visual arts and documentary film.

“All I owned was a rifle, a leopard coat and my camera,” says Faye Schulman, whose clandestine photographs of Jewish partisans living in the forests of Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Belarus documented their efforts to disrupt the Nazi killing machine by blowing up bridges, derailing trains, and smuggling Jews. The image of Schulman with an ammunition belt slung over her fashionable shoulder is only one of many jaw-dropping moments in Mintz’s riveting directorial debut. Last surviving partisans tell stories of cold, hunger, and fear, but also of their capacity for courage, altruism, resourcefulness, barbarism, and resilience.

“…MAYBE YOU THINK YOU’VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. YOU HAVEN’T.” – Karen Cooper, President and Director of FILM FORUM NYC

“…AN ENDURING WARNING AMID TODAY’S GLOBAL STRUGGLE WITH AUTHORITARIAN FORCES.”
NEW YORK TIMES

“FROM EMPATHY TO AWE… POIGNANT, REFLECTIVE AND SOMETIMES SHOCKINGLY FUNNY.”
Ms. MAGAZINE

Next Stage Arts

Next Stage Arts serves southeastern Vermont as a regional cultural hub, arts producer, and instigator of meaningful cultural experiences. Founded in 2010 as a nonprofit organization, Next Stage Arts is a transformative, community-centered project dedicated to revitalizing Putney’s cultural and economic village center through excellence in arts programming valuing diversity as a springboard for nurturing community.

For more information and updates please go to: nextstagearts.org