JANUARY 20 • 2022 | 43

University and has taught at the Interlochen 
Center for the Arts, had traveled widely to 
find authentic ancestral records. 
“It’s amazing to have my grandfather’s 
souvenir travel film showing on the film 
festival screen, and I’m amazed at how 
his imagery touches people in a way that’s 
profound,
” Kurtz said. “That’s astonishing, 
something miraculous to me.
”

FINDING COMMONALITIES
Reactions to the clip and the film narrated 
by Helena Bonham Carter affect Kurtz most 
deeply as they focus on individuals, way 
beyond any statistics. The film delves into 
the commonalities of all people and not a 
stereotypical grouping of people.
“I wanted to find a way to make [the orig-
inal film] last longer and keep these people 
in the present some way,
” Stigter said as part 
of a showing at the DOC NYC, considered 
America’s largest documentary film festival, 
where she told of her immediate reaction to 

viewing the vacation clip.
“I wanted to pay attention to the people 
we see and find out as much about them as 
possible,
” she said. “We built it up piece by 
piece. We used it as an archaeological tool.
” 
Stigter, who contacted Kurtz and studied 
the contents of his book, made a point of 
visiting with those having Nasielsk heritage 
to help obtain the narrative information 
without going beyond the three-minutes of 
the visuals.
Some research was accomplished during 
a weekend stay at the Bloomfield Hills home 
of Evelyn Rosen, Chandler’s daughter, and 
Kurtz joined the group. 
“She and Glenn spent many hours inter-
viewing my father,
” said Rosen, who visited 
Nasielsk with her father and later with a 
group of 50 found through Kurtz’s research. 
“
At one point, they interviewed me, and they 
interviewed my daughter. Bianca felt com-
pelled to stretch out the film because every-
one you see is so happy and carefree, and it 

was so wonderful to see their smiling faces.
” 
While the Chandler family had a remote 
preview of the film before it appeared at fes-
tivals, Rosen and her daughter also went to 
the Toronto International Film Festival for a 
public viewing. 
“I saw it there in a polished, finished ver-
sion after spending so many hours scouring 
with my father through the original tape 
trying to identify people,
” Rosen said. “I 
appreciate what Bianca did [with what she 
learned].
“I thought the narration made the film 
impressive. To use a very well-known actress 
as the voice of the narration made it more 
suitable and palatable for a greater audience.
”
Although David Kurtz left his Polish 
birthplace long before the Nazis came to 
power and died before his grandson, Glenn, 
was born, his memory will live on through 
artistic recognition. Stigter keeps him “in the 
present” by listing his name in her film cred-
its for doing the camera work. 

“IT’S AMAZING 
TO HAVE MY 
GRANDFATHER’S 
SOUVENIR TRAVEL 
FILM SHOWING ON 
THE FILM FESTIVAL 
SCREEN, AND I’M 
AMAZED AT HOW HIS 
IMAGERY TOUCHES 
PEOPLE IN A WAY 
THAT’S PROFOUND.”

— GLENN KURTZ

Details
Three Minutes — A Lengthening can be seen from 
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, and from 10 
a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, through 10 a.m. Thursday, 
Jan. 27. $20. Glenn Kurtz and Bianca Stigter will do 
a Zoom Q&A after the first Jan. 24 showing. All films 
must be started within the allotted time, then you 
have five hours to finish them. bit.ly/3qxDWR3. To see 
a related JN story from 2014, go to bit.ly/3r6EVq4.

Evelyn Rosen, Maurice 
Chandler and Steven Rosen

Evelyn Rosen and 
Maurice Chandler

