Peshev's statue in Kyustendil (Photo by Svik)

World premiere of the documentary Empty Boxcars: Murder and Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews in World War 2 by Edward Gaffney, an Irish catholic always committed to the Jewish-Christian dialogue, in Sofia.

"Not a tribute to Bulgarians altogether, not a eulogy to their national heroism", underlines the daily Sofia Echo which interviewed the director.

Gaffney's movie offers a thorough and powerful account of how some people, including Dimitar Peshev, defended their human dignity by opposing the persecution of Jews. The book on Peshev L'uomo che fermò Hitler by Gabriele Nissim presents these stories and was referred to by the film-maker as a source.

Particularly controversial is the role of king Boris, represented as a "cunning fox" so opportunist to follow Hitler's racist raving and conquest politics.

Peshev, Metropolitan Stephan and few other Righteous defied Hitler's orders and rescued 48,000 Bulgarian Jews, all those who resided within the State borders. The Jews from Thrace and Macedonia, areas occupied by Bulgaria on the king's orders, had a different fate: they were deported to Treblinka after being submitted to the desecration and destruction of their worship places.

The world premiere involved many personalities of Bulgarian cultural and civil life. Holocaust survivors commented upon the movie and shared their experiences. While condemning the invasion of Thrace and Macedonia a witness recalled how the Bulgarian Nazis turned a synagogue into a sausage factory.

biography of Dimitar Peshev
review of the world premiere in Sofia Echo, 15 October 2010
interview to Ed Gaffney in Sofia Echo, 22 October 2010