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In Liepāja, Latvia, on December 15, 1941, thousands of Jewish women and children were taken to the women’s prison where they were forced to strip to their underclothes and shot dead in groups of 10. Many victims were photographed in their final moments by a Nazi photographer. One such photograph serves as the inspiration for the Monument, “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots.”
Our story shows one woman’s determination to sculpt the first Holocaust Memorial Monument in North Carolina commemorating the women and children of the Holocaust. We show her motivation, her drive, and the people that helped her dream become a reality. The film puts faces, names, and stories to what the monument represents. Survivors of the Holocaust do not live far away. They live here in Greensboro. They work with us. They are our neighbors. The film gives three of them an opportunity to tell their stories. One is the story of a boy who survived multiple concentration camps and the other is of two cousins hidden during the war by their brave and courageous mothers. The monument is named in honor of the cousins’ mothers. Join us as we start a movement to educate the next generation of the dangers when people are marked as “other.”
Victoria Carlin Milstein, Painter, Teacher, Social Practice Artist
Originally from New York, Victoria Milstein has lived and traveled around the world and now resides in Greensboro, NC. Victoria studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City and The Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem. Her portraits hang in private and public collections globally. Victoria’s practice includes socially engaged public art and programming along with sculpture and painting. In 2021 she was featured in “Pieces of Now”, the award- winning exhibit at the Greensboro History Museum documenting her community’s response to the social justice protests in 2020.
Her sculpture, “She Wouldn’t Take off Her Boots,” was erected in Greensboro’s LeBauer Park in April of 2023. Victoria is the co-founder of Women of the Shoah, the non-profit associated with the project which will sponsor art and educational programs as part of the North Carolina Holocaust curriculum for public schools. She is the Executive Producer of “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” a documentary on the project that aired nationally in early 2024. Victoria currently serves on numerous community boards and organizations, including the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, and the Visitors Board of University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also serves as a Commissioner for the Arts for the City of Greensboro.
Victoria was a 2018 TedX Greensboro Speaker and operates VCM Art Studio, a place of mentoring and fellowship, with model drawings, workshops and community events for all demographics.
Producer Jenny Kaiser
Jenny is an established television and documentary filmproducer out of Greensboro, North Carolina. Her career is
focused on telling the stories of everyday people. Her film credits include For Our Children, Forgotten Towns: Grundy, and the latest film, She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots. In addition, her television credits include News 2 at 5 and Truth for a New Generation.
Dr. Robert Watson is a professor, author, historian, media commentator and community activist. He joined the faculty of Lynn in 2007 after spending 15 years teaching at universities around the country. He has published over 45 books and approximately 200 scholarly articles, essays and chapters on topics in history and politics. His recent books America’s First Crisis, The Nazi Titanic, The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn, George Washington’s Final Battle and Escape have received critical acclaim. A frequent media commentator, Watson has been interviewed by local, national and international television, radio, print and online outlets including CNN, MSNBC, Time, USAToday, The New York Times, BBC and more. He served for many years as the political analyst for WPTV 5 NBC, a Sunday columnist for the Sun-Sentinel newspaper and a regular guest on television shows “To the Point” (WPTV 5 NBC) and “Issues” (WPBT 2 PBS) and on radio programs on RTE One Ireland, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, WIOD 610 AM and WFTL 850 AM.
Sponsored by Paul Burger
- Year2023
- Runtime56 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereFlorida
- DirectorWilky Black
- ProducerJenny Kaiser
- Executive ProducerKaren Massand
- CastVictoria Milstein, Shelly Weiner, Rachel Kizhnerman, Zev Harel
- CinematographerClayton Witmer
- EditorChelsey Cummings
If you would like to donate to support our efforts, you can do so by clicking here. You can also experience all the films streaming in the Festival's virtual program by purchasing an All-Access Virtual Pass by clicking here.
In Liepāja, Latvia, on December 15, 1941, thousands of Jewish women and children were taken to the women’s prison where they were forced to strip to their underclothes and shot dead in groups of 10. Many victims were photographed in their final moments by a Nazi photographer. One such photograph serves as the inspiration for the Monument, “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots.”
Our story shows one woman’s determination to sculpt the first Holocaust Memorial Monument in North Carolina commemorating the women and children of the Holocaust. We show her motivation, her drive, and the people that helped her dream become a reality. The film puts faces, names, and stories to what the monument represents. Survivors of the Holocaust do not live far away. They live here in Greensboro. They work with us. They are our neighbors. The film gives three of them an opportunity to tell their stories. One is the story of a boy who survived multiple concentration camps and the other is of two cousins hidden during the war by their brave and courageous mothers. The monument is named in honor of the cousins’ mothers. Join us as we start a movement to educate the next generation of the dangers when people are marked as “other.”
Victoria Carlin Milstein, Painter, Teacher, Social Practice Artist
Originally from New York, Victoria Milstein has lived and traveled around the world and now resides in Greensboro, NC. Victoria studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City and The Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem. Her portraits hang in private and public collections globally. Victoria’s practice includes socially engaged public art and programming along with sculpture and painting. In 2021 she was featured in “Pieces of Now”, the award- winning exhibit at the Greensboro History Museum documenting her community’s response to the social justice protests in 2020.
Her sculpture, “She Wouldn’t Take off Her Boots,” was erected in Greensboro’s LeBauer Park in April of 2023. Victoria is the co-founder of Women of the Shoah, the non-profit associated with the project which will sponsor art and educational programs as part of the North Carolina Holocaust curriculum for public schools. She is the Executive Producer of “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” a documentary on the project that aired nationally in early 2024. Victoria currently serves on numerous community boards and organizations, including the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, and the Visitors Board of University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also serves as a Commissioner for the Arts for the City of Greensboro.
Victoria was a 2018 TedX Greensboro Speaker and operates VCM Art Studio, a place of mentoring and fellowship, with model drawings, workshops and community events for all demographics.
Producer Jenny Kaiser
Jenny is an established television and documentary filmproducer out of Greensboro, North Carolina. Her career is
focused on telling the stories of everyday people. Her film credits include For Our Children, Forgotten Towns: Grundy, and the latest film, She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots. In addition, her television credits include News 2 at 5 and Truth for a New Generation.
Dr. Robert Watson is a professor, author, historian, media commentator and community activist. He joined the faculty of Lynn in 2007 after spending 15 years teaching at universities around the country. He has published over 45 books and approximately 200 scholarly articles, essays and chapters on topics in history and politics. His recent books America’s First Crisis, The Nazi Titanic, The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn, George Washington’s Final Battle and Escape have received critical acclaim. A frequent media commentator, Watson has been interviewed by local, national and international television, radio, print and online outlets including CNN, MSNBC, Time, USAToday, The New York Times, BBC and more. He served for many years as the political analyst for WPTV 5 NBC, a Sunday columnist for the Sun-Sentinel newspaper and a regular guest on television shows “To the Point” (WPTV 5 NBC) and “Issues” (WPBT 2 PBS) and on radio programs on RTE One Ireland, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, WIOD 610 AM and WFTL 850 AM.
Sponsored by Paul Burger
- Year2023
- Runtime56 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereFlorida
- DirectorWilky Black
- ProducerJenny Kaiser
- Executive ProducerKaren Massand
- CastVictoria Milstein, Shelly Weiner, Rachel Kizhnerman, Zev Harel
- CinematographerClayton Witmer
- EditorChelsey Cummings
