This quiet documentary is drawn from historical footage. There's no hype, no glamour, no embellishment; the images on screen convey their own messages.

The voiceover is clear, measured, and feels authentic. Is it a recording of the cameramen, or an actor reading their words? It matters not, the words are a diary from the time, documentary in the true sense.

It's hard to tell whether the footage has been broadcast before, in other documentaries. Certainly there has been footage from Belsen before, but this felt new, more personal, individual moments amongst the mass horrors.

The true strength of What They Found is however paradoxical. It shows, it doesn't judge. It shares but doesn't dictate, it allows the viewer to see, to draw their own conclusions. You're not told what to think, not invited to hate, not given any direction about how you should respond.

That's something it has in common with Night and Fog, and it leaves that same sense of reflection, of inner disquiet. The black and white film conveys its own horror. It needs no condemnation.

Closing in silence, no music for the end credits was welcome. A moment to pause, recover.

I wont recover. Not tonight.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Directed by Sam Mendes, this is the story of two soldier-cameramen, Sgt Mike Lewis and Sgt Bill Laurie, who witnessed the liberation of Belsen during the closing days of World War II.

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What They Found

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