THREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAI

THREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAITHREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAITHREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAI

A SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE SHANGHAI JEWISH REFUGEE EXPERIENCE

THREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAI

THREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAITHREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAITHREE BROTHERS IN SHANGHAI

A SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE SHANGHAI JEWISH REFUGEE EXPERIENCE

Logline

Escaping the Nazis in Austria, a Jewish family flees to Shanghai, one of the only places in the world willing to accept persecuted and impoverished refugees. Against the odds, the three young brothers manage to adapt and thrive in a dangerous, unpredictable world.

Story

The Gewing brothers–Walter, Heinz and Ernst– fled Austria with their parents to escape the Nazis in 1938. They arrived in Shanghai, one of the few places in the world willing to accept Jews without money or connections. Torn apart by war, the crowded port city became a haven for thousands of Jewish refugees. The close-knit Gewing family faced poverty, illness and deportation to the ghetto with resilience and a wry sense of humor. The three brothers spent their formative years in Shanghai, finding ways to adapt and thrive against all odds. But their parents’ choices, including a critical decision made at the end of the war, would forever impact their lives. The brothers are among the last survivors of a forgotten generation.

Filmmakers

Director/Producer - Nick Andrus

Nick was born and raised in San Francisco. He earned his BA in History & Critical Studies in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Nick is a DGA UPM who has worked on feature films, commercials and music videos. His credits include documentaries From Here to There and Memes & Nightmares, which was produced by Lebron James and Maverick Carter and premiered at Tribeca. He has also worked on dozens of narrative feature films, including Sundance projects The Greasy Strangler, R#J, and Land.  His resume includes commercials for national brands, and music videos for Ariana Grande, Charli XCX and BTS. A lover of documentary films and a lifelong student of the craft of film-making, the Gewing brothers’ story inspired Nick to step out of his comfort zone and expand his own creative practice.  

Writer/Producer - Jenny Gewing Andrus

Jenny is a librarian and writer with a focus on nonfiction. Her passions include research, oral history, and a craft of storytelling. Jenny's picture book Elsa's Chessboard, based on the life of her grandmother, will be published by award-winning Neal Porter Books in 2025.

Editor - Michael Gil


Michael is a film editor and producer based in Los Angeles. He has worked on documentary, narrative and experimental films, and frequently returns to themes of memory and identity, seeking out the personal narratives and poetic truths that transcend the cold cynicism and comfortable simplifications of our increasingly mechanistic world. It is his ambition to create engaging media that can catalyze positive change and inspire empathy. His work has aired on PBS, screened at festivals globally, and served as educational resources in classrooms and for nonprofits throughout the United States. He is a descendant of Austrian Holocaust survivors on his father's side, and a large family of southeast asian Jews on his mother's. He earned his B.A. from Harvard University, where he studied Philosophy and Cognitive Neuroscience. He earned his M.F.A. in Film Production at the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts.

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Behind the Scenes: Three Brothers in Shanghai

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