Are there any signs of human inhabitation in a cold cave?

By Jenny Alvarez

In October 1942, Esther Stermer, the matriarch of a Jewish family in the Ukraine, leads her family underground to hide from the pursuing Nazis – and stays nearly a year and a half. Their harrowing story of survival living in near total darkness in two cold, damp caves is one like no other ever told. It was life…like No Place On Earth.

The cinematography complements the telling of this story wonderfully. In the darkness of the caves, dimly lit candles bring hope; black-and-white historical videos and the grey tones from a clouded over sky infuse reality into the setting of the horror-world of the above and is an extraordinary testament to ingenuity, willpower and endurance against all odds. The survivors recount their harrowing experiences in this harsh environment as they learned to find food, water and supplies and built secret escape routes to evade capture or being buried alive. It is really dramatic and unforgettable where family and support for being alive is the most important goal, a well done documentary will touch your heart.