This documentary does a fairly adept maneuvering between perspectives and allows the audience to decide for themselves what to take away from the deception- I find myself in a peculiar place of feeling instant distrust of the story from the initial description, but hesitating because, despite numerous frauds in this circle of literature, you just can't bring yourself to question the authenticity of a Holocaust survivor.
It seems a painful endeavor to even slightly lift an eyebrow because 'who am I to call into question the experience of another when I have no basis in fact'?
And herein lies what I believe to be at the root of Misha, and others like her; there's a certain level of credibility that comes with these claims, and it's not acceptable to pronounce someone a fraud for fear you cause them further angst/suffering. If you're wrong, you've done them a great disservice, and could cause further damage to their person. So we tend to give a certain level of credibility and push down those feelings of doubt.
But that's where these fraudsters live and prey- on the presumed honesty and integrity given to them as supposed survivors. But what I liked regarding this film is, the commentary that specifically speaks to these manipulators- that their lies have a profound impact on the historical accuracy, give ferocious fuel to the flames of the deniers.
I don't care for the glossing over of the guilt of this woman, and is why I only gave 8 instead of 10- I don't care how 'traumatized' she was by her treacherous father, there's simply no excuse for what she's done, along with the immense monetary damage done to her first publisher (who really should have done her own void-ire into this charlatan) and countless others who fell for her fraud and indulged her nonsense. That she's living a quiet life is contrary to everything our society stands for.
Simply put, she preyed upon society with outright lies, knowing they were lies. Continued with her nonsensical grift and now has shifted the narrative to still somehow be a victim. That she's allowed to be forgiven for the horrific crime of diminishing those whose suffering was very real and incredibly painful is nothing short of disgusting.
It seems a painful endeavor to even slightly lift an eyebrow because 'who am I to call into question the experience of another when I have no basis in fact'?
And herein lies what I believe to be at the root of Misha, and others like her; there's a certain level of credibility that comes with these claims, and it's not acceptable to pronounce someone a fraud for fear you cause them further angst/suffering. If you're wrong, you've done them a great disservice, and could cause further damage to their person. So we tend to give a certain level of credibility and push down those feelings of doubt.
But that's where these fraudsters live and prey- on the presumed honesty and integrity given to them as supposed survivors. But what I liked regarding this film is, the commentary that specifically speaks to these manipulators- that their lies have a profound impact on the historical accuracy, give ferocious fuel to the flames of the deniers.
I don't care for the glossing over of the guilt of this woman, and is why I only gave 8 instead of 10- I don't care how 'traumatized' she was by her treacherous father, there's simply no excuse for what she's done, along with the immense monetary damage done to her first publisher (who really should have done her own void-ire into this charlatan) and countless others who fell for her fraud and indulged her nonsense. That she's living a quiet life is contrary to everything our society stands for.
Simply put, she preyed upon society with outright lies, knowing they were lies. Continued with her nonsensical grift and now has shifted the narrative to still somehow be a victim. That she's allowed to be forgiven for the horrific crime of diminishing those whose suffering was very real and incredibly painful is nothing short of disgusting.