Never Forget

TV Movie
1991
Unrated
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

The story of Mel Mermelstein, an American holocaust survivor who confronted a Holocaust denial organization's lies in court.The story of Mel Mermelstein, an American holocaust survivor who confronted a Holocaust denial organization's lies in court.The story of Mel Mermelstein, an American holocaust survivor who confronted a Holocaust denial organization's lies in court.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

323

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations

Photos

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
After Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), this was the second time that Carl Steven played a younger version of a character played by Leonard Nimoy.

Quotes
Ms. Teitler: I'm afraid there's no help we can give you.
Anti-Defamation League man #2: There is no way for you to get satisfaction, Mr. Mermelstein.
Mel Mermelstein: Satisfaction? What I want is justice.
Anti-Defamation League man #2: Any legal satisfaction. This letter is not actionable, which means there are no means to take them into court. Of course, ah, I mean a real court, a United States court, not their kangaroo court.
Ms. Teitler: Let me tell you something you probably already know: Now, the Institute for Historical Review is part of an ongoing germ; it's a network of professional liars and haters who get pleasure out of telling their horrible lies.
Anti-Defamation League man #2: Um hum.
Ms. Teitler: That there was no Holocaust. Now, to some people, people who need to hear this kind of smut, it unfortunately has some kind of appeal. We know them. We know what they are doing. Now let me tell you something you probably don't want to hear: You would be folish to pay any attention to this letter, Mr. Mermelstein, you would be playing right into their hands.
[she continues]
Mel Mermelstein: How do you mean?
Anti-Defamation League man #1: The whole challenge is phony; they don't want the truth. They'll stack the deck against you.
Mel Mermelstein: But I could tell what I saw with my own eyes in the camps. I could bring witnesses.
Anti-Defamation League man #1: They'll ridicule you and your witnesses.
Ms. Teitler: All you would accomplish by responding is to give them exactly what they want. They want the publicity.
Anti-Defamation League man #2: Yeah, if you give them the recognition they are looking for, they win; ignore them, you win.
Mel Mermelstein: Now just a minute. You can't see threw my jacket but when you say 'Ignore them', I get goose bumps, I get a shiver, 'cause that's exactly the same words that the wise men in my town in Munkacs, Hungary said when the Nazi's started to spread their lies.
Ms. Teitler: Mr. Mermelstein -
[interrupted]
Mel Mermelstein: Please! Please! Please! Don't give me this 'Ignore them' business because I know where that ends!

Connections
Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Leonard Nimoy/Bill Maher/B.J. Sniff (1991)

User reviews11

Review

Featured review

Those that hate...

For those that hate, there were never enough minorities tortured, hung, gassed or stuffed into ovens to satisfy their aversion. By means of their denial that the holocaust existed, or their statements that events were "over-exaggerated", they aim to further insult and injure the survivors and descendants of those who suffered Hitlers "final solution".

There was a time after the war that we said "never again"! Never again would we allow genocide to occur anywhere on this planet. How soon we forget our pledge. Genocide and ethnic cleansing are still very much a reality, and just as it did in the early days of Hitlers Germany, it goes on mostly unfettered and continues today in places like Rwanda, and Malaysia. At the very least we need to send a message to those that hate and commit acts of wholesale murder.

Hitler still exists. His legacy resides in men like president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, who called for the destruction of Israel, and who goes virtually unopposed by the world community. It is no surprise that Ahmadinejad is a holocaust denier himself, and has even called for conferences in an attempt to question the events in Nazi Germany. He has called for Jews and Christians to be forced to distinguish themselves by wearing colored badges. Very reminiscent to Nazi Germany's requiring the Jews to wear the Star of David. Mostly Ahmadinejad is a man of words rather than actions at present time. However, there once was a time when Hitler was confined to spewing his hate in the beer halls of Bavaria. Do we ever learn? I have found that hate doesn't have to have logic or reason, it just has to exist. No matter where hate exists, no matter what race or religion it is aimed at, it must not go unopposed. These men and their ideas must be stopped. Today they come for your neighbor, but perhaps tomorrow they will come for you.