For Immediate Release

Buddy Pictures Inc. TO PRODUCE "ABOUT FACE", A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY ON THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE JEWISH REFUGEE SOLDIERS OF WORLD WAR II

Chicago, IL (May 14, 2002) - Buddy Pictures Inc., a Chicago-based production company is set to produce "About Face," a feature-length documentary that tells the remarkable yet previously untold story of thousands of young Jewish émigrés who fled Germany and Austria in the early days of Hitler's regime only to perform an "about face" marching back to Europe and North Africa to confront their enemy and fight alongside American GI's and British Tommies in WWII. Steveland founder, Steven Karras to direct and write, Rose Lizarraga to co-write and produce.

The story begins in 1933, when thousands of young Jewish refugees began arriving in Great Britain and the United States. They arrived to find they were welcomed with open arms and the love affair with the countries that had given them safe haven began. Then, in 1939, when the Allied Forces declared war on Germany, these immigrants were overcome with a sense of duty, patriotism and loyalty to the countries that had given them shelter. They sought to join the war effort knowing that if they were captured, as Jewish soldiers, what their fates would be. They overcame their "foreignness" and "enemy alien status" to become invaluable members of the Allied Forces, helping to put down Hitler's forces, win WWII and end the horrors of the Holocaust. This unexpected and heartwarming story reveals an empowering side of the Jewish experience and a little-known chapter in the history of WWII.

"About Face", unlike so many Holocaust and WWII documentaries, will not focus on the ghetto uprisings, the camps or the victimization of the Jewish people. Instead, it will depict the uniquely powerful and unexpected experiences of the Jewish refugees-turned-soldiers who fought with distinction in the US and Allied Armed Forces as combat infantrymen, paratroopers, and interrogators and in counter intelligence and military intelligence positions. The film will feature Jewish veterans who remember with great pride and gratitude the privilege of having fought in WWII. As one of the most famous Jewish veterans featured in the documentary, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger recalls, "I think it was the most important experience of my life." The film will also feature the stories of veterans, who sadly have passed on since director Steven Karras first began interviewing them. "Now more than ever I feel an overwhelming responsibility and a sense of urgency to tell these important stories for those who can no longer tell them for themselves. I am so honored these heroes have entrusted us to tell them," says Steven Karras. Producer Rose Lizarraga adds, "In a time when conflict on the world stage brings every immigrant's loyalty into question, this story will restore our faith in our fellow citizens, whatever their place of origin."

For additional information on "About Face," please contact Rose Lizarraga at 312.961.3905.

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