Episode 97: 1on1 with Louise Archambault (IRENA'S VOW)

ScreenFish Radio

Directed by Louise Archambault, Irena’s Vow tells the amazing true story of Irena Gut Opdyke (Sophie Nelisse), a strong-willed, 19-year-old Polish woman who is employed by the Nazis during WWII. Promoted to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer, Irena is advised by the other staff to remain ‘seen and not heard’ for her own safety. However, when she discovers that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated, she bravely chooses to shelter twelve Jews in the commandant’s basement. Faced with certain death should they (or she) be discovered, Irena remains determined to care for the disenfranchised as the Nazi’s swirl around them. In this 1on1, we speak to Archambault about stepping into history and shooting war on an intimate level.