8. These Were Not Simple Deaths (2023) – Jordan Baseman

2023. Video, 20 min 38 sec 

These Were Not Simple Deaths features Lilian Black OBE, reflecting
on her father Eugene Black’s experiences during and after the
Holocaust, as well as her own deep sense of responsibility as the
daughter of a survivor. Eugene was the only member of his immediate
family to survive, apart from his elder brother. He was liberated from
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after enduring unimaginable
suffering, including forced labour at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

In the film, Lilian recounts how she first learned about her father’s
past by accident during childhood, and how that discovery shaped
their later journey together to the sites of his imprisonment. Her
voice is accompanied by images of tall, mature trees moving gently
in the breeze beneath a deep, midnight blue sky. It is early spring,
and the trees are just beginning to bud. The camera never reveals
the ground or surrounding environment—only the crowns of the
trees, illuminated by golden light, rising above a darkened landscape.
Gradually, the sound of passing traffic emerges, anchoring the scene
in the present and hinting at a contemporary, urban setting.

Lilian Black was a passionate advocate for Holocaust education. She
served as Chair of the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association
and was the founding force behind Holocaust Centre North. The
original audio of her interview, recorded by Dr Tracy Craggs in 2016,
forms the emotional core of this work.

With thanks to Lilian Black & Frank Griffiths. Courtesy of Matt’s Gallery
(London), Jordan Baseman and Holocaust Centre North Archive.