'No Place On Earth': Underground, A Story Of Survival
Inevitably, No Place on Earth looks and feels a bit like In Darkness, Agnieszka Holland's real-life 2011 drama about a group of Jews who found refuge in the sewers of a then-Polish, now-Ukrainian city. Like Holland, Tobias emphasizes the darkness. She even gives a subterranean look to the direct interviews, placing the survivors before black backdrops illuminated by a single light. Among those who testify are Sonia and Sima Dodyk, who were little girls when their families went underground.
Although the story is told with narration rather than dialogue, Tobias relies too much on reconstruction. A more inventive melding of documentary and docudrama would have benefited the film, whose most moving scenes all involve real members of the families. A bit more historical and geographic context would also be useful.
Still, it's an unforgettable story. It's also one that remains raw, as is demonstrated not just by the area residents' reluctance to discuss it with Nicola 20 years ago. The movie's credits reveal that the reconstructed scenes were shot elsewhere in Eastern Europe — not in the region where caves preserved just a few of the millions marked for extermination.