Special screening of Russian war drama film "Sobibor" at the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

On May 1, Russian war drama film "Sobibor" about the 1943 uprising at the Nazi death camp in Poland premiered at the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC.

The movie, marking the 75th anniversary of the Sobibor uprising and the commemoration of its victims, was directed by famous Russian actor Konstantin Khabensky who attended the premiere.

The film is based on a true story of the only successful revolt at a Nazi death camp during the Second World War led by Soviet officer Aleksander Pechersky. Some 300 prisoners managed to escape the camp, while only around 50 of them survived the war.

Addressing the reporters at the premiere, film director Konstantin Khabensky expressed his hope that the film would have a great effect on the US audience.

"The film is aimed at people who have not forgotten how to feel and have not forgotten to sympathize. These qualities themselves are important now, especially with regard to the recent times," he said.

Khabensky stressed that the World War II theme remained "a point of great concern and pain" for Russia, noting the high importance of such kind of films for the next generations.

State Department Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Thomas Yazdgerdi, Israeli Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Reuven Azar, and former US Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle also attended the event along with a few hundred people including representatives from foreign diplomatic missions, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, along with US and Israeli officials.

The special envoy spoke following the premiere of the movie, marking the 75th anniversary of the Sobibor uprising and the commemoration of its victims, at the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C.

"I think it should be shown everywhere. I think movies like this deepen understanding of the Holocaust… It’s a pretty powerful movie and it’s very gut-wrenching… It’s tough to watch, but it’s necessary because people need to know that these things actually did happen, this war did happen." Yazdgerdi said, when asked whether the movie should be shown to more public in the United States.

The Russian Ambassador said that "Such crimes [as the Holocaust] can never be forgiven or forgotten," adding that recently there have been attempts to rewrite history and "cast a shadow over the heroic victory of our country that together with its allies defeated the Nazis and stopped the German war machine of destruction."

The showcasing was held with the support of Susan Carmel, Chairman of the American-Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation.