Praise for “This Ordinary Thing”

THIS ORDINARY THING is a poignant but wholly unsentimental examination of what it is that brings out altruistic instincts in people who are witnesses to a catastrophe-- in this case, the Holocaust. Nick Davis has found a group of witnesses who hid Jews or intervened in other ways and let them speak of their motives and actions in a way that will cause anyone who watches this film to think about what he or she would have done in similar circumstances. It is a deft, subtle piece of filmmaking, one devoid of righteousness or preachiness, and speaks with directness and clarity to the issue of acting humanely in inhuman times.

Daphne Merkin, Literary critic and essayist
THIS ORDINARY THING is no ordinary thing…. simple poetic imagery, exceptional choices….An inspiring Holocaust film… The length of the film at one-hour is a perfect choice. And the brief selections of anecdotes and details make them all the more powerful in their brevity. The shortness gives the film a tremendous momentum…. I had tears streaming down my face by the end.

Paul Barnes, Editor and Producer for Ken Burns