A mother's secret identity is finally being revealed in a powerful new documentary, 'My Underground Mother'. The film tells the story of Marisa Fox's mother, who had been hiding her true past from her family and the world. According to Marisa Fox, her mother would often tell stories of her youth during World War II, boasting about her role as a spy and saboteur in a Jewish underground group fighting against the British army.
However, as Marisa Fox grew older, she began to suspect that certain parts of her mother's story didn't add up. She questioned her mother repeatedly, but was met with resistance and eventually, silence. It wasn't until 2010, when Marisa Fox was having tea with an elderly great-aunt suffering from dementia, that the truth finally began to surface.
Through relentless sleuthing over a 15-year period, Marisa Fox discovered that her mother had lied about her true identity, age, and experiences during the war. It turned out that she had been living in Poland for the entire duration of the war, not just as a teenager. Her mother had also fabricated stories about being part of an underground group, using bombs and guns to fight against the British army.
The film sheds light on the harrowing experience of women imprisoned at Gabersdorf, a forced labor camp where hundreds of teenage girls were taken after their birth mothers were sent to Auschwitz. The girls were subjected to backbreaking work, isolation, and eventually, rape and human trafficking by Nazi soldiers and Russian liberators.
Marisa Fox's mother had escaped this fate, but her experiences left deep emotional scars. After the war, she joined an insurrectionist movement that played a role in the creation of Israel, but she continued to hide her past from her family and the world.
The film raises important questions about shame, guilt, and the power dynamics between women who survive traumatic experiences during war. Marisa Fox believes that it's time for these stories to be told without shame or guilt, so that survivors can finally find peace and closure.
'My Underground Mother' is a powerful and emotional journey into the past, shedding light on the secrets and lies that families often keep hidden. The film will screen at the New York Jewish film festival before its wider release later this year.
However, as Marisa Fox grew older, she began to suspect that certain parts of her mother's story didn't add up. She questioned her mother repeatedly, but was met with resistance and eventually, silence. It wasn't until 2010, when Marisa Fox was having tea with an elderly great-aunt suffering from dementia, that the truth finally began to surface.
Through relentless sleuthing over a 15-year period, Marisa Fox discovered that her mother had lied about her true identity, age, and experiences during the war. It turned out that she had been living in Poland for the entire duration of the war, not just as a teenager. Her mother had also fabricated stories about being part of an underground group, using bombs and guns to fight against the British army.
The film sheds light on the harrowing experience of women imprisoned at Gabersdorf, a forced labor camp where hundreds of teenage girls were taken after their birth mothers were sent to Auschwitz. The girls were subjected to backbreaking work, isolation, and eventually, rape and human trafficking by Nazi soldiers and Russian liberators.
Marisa Fox's mother had escaped this fate, but her experiences left deep emotional scars. After the war, she joined an insurrectionist movement that played a role in the creation of Israel, but she continued to hide her past from her family and the world.
The film raises important questions about shame, guilt, and the power dynamics between women who survive traumatic experiences during war. Marisa Fox believes that it's time for these stories to be told without shame or guilt, so that survivors can finally find peace and closure.
'My Underground Mother' is a powerful and emotional journey into the past, shedding light on the secrets and lies that families often keep hidden. The film will screen at the New York Jewish film festival before its wider release later this year.
I'm so over these "documentary" features where they just air out someone's dirty laundry without giving them a chance to clean it up themselves first. Like, I get that Marisa Fox was finally able to uncover the truth about her mom's past, but can't she have handled the conversation with her family in a more diplomatic way? 
It feels like a 15-year period of digging around for dirt and then just airing it out without any resolution. The woman did some serious emotional damage to her family, and now they're all just sitting there watching this documentary like "oh look, our secrets are finally out". 
Can't we have more nuanced portrayals that take into account the complexities of human relationships? 
... I mean, can you even imagine hiding your whole life for 70+ years? Marisa Fox's mom is like a completely different person when she's telling stories about being a spy and all that jazz, but then you find out it was all fabricated 
. And the part where her mom escapes the concentration camp but still experiences trauma... ugh. It's like our brains can't even process how hard it must be for these women to deal with. The film is doing a great job of shedding light on this and bringing awareness to the fact that survivors deserve to have their stories told without shame or guilt 
. We should all be applauding Marisa Fox for being so brave in sharing her mom's story... it's not easy, you know? 
just saw this doco about some chick who thought her mom was a spy in WWII but out she came as a polish refugee 
can't even handle all the lies and shame involved 
also those girls at Gabersdorf labor camp? still traumatized after 70+ yrs of silence 
. I mean, the thought of being trapped in a forced labor camp is just unimaginable... hundreds of teenage girls subjected to that kind of cruelty? It's heartbreaking 
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I just watched this doco and it's giving me all the feels 
. The way Marisa Fox digs through her mom's story, only to find out she's been lying about everything... it's like a real-life whodunit! 
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. And the fact that Marisa Fox finally got to hear the truth after all those years must've been so emotional for her... I can imagine how hard it was for her to confront her mom and deal with those feelings of shame and guilt 
. And it's really interesting that the film is focusing on the experience of women who survived war trauma... it's not just about the guys in military uniforms, you know? Women have been through some crazy stuff too 
. Anyway, I'm definitely gonna check out this documentary when it comes out 
!
. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing 'My Underground Mother' on the big screen – it sounds like a really powerful and emotional watch 