Winter ’43

The true story of Wally, a young Jewish woman who survived the dark era of World War II, through both a personal and historical lens.

At only six months old, Wally’s entire Jewish family moves from their home country of Poland to France, fleeing the Nazi regime as it rolls across Europe. Their new life is interrupted in 1939 when Germany invades Poland, overtaking France in 1940. As the Jewish people of France begin to experience the effects of their invaders, the threat becomes more clear to the family, leading Wally’s parents to make difficult choices for their children’s safety.

Sent to the supposedly safe Alps with her sisters as the rest of the family stays behind in Paris, Wally’s daily life is reduced to a cycle of survival and fear, with the occasional carefree happiness that only young people can experience. But as the war draws to a close, the question remains -- Will they have a family to return to?

Based on the true story of Wally Aviam, Winter ’43: A Young Girl’s Story follows Wally’s life and the parallel historical events of the time, as recounted to Valérie Villieu and visually captured by Belgian artist Antoine Houcke using a blend of artistic mediums, grounded in images historical imagery. Includes a forward from historian Annette Wieviorka.