The Miami Jewish Film Festival has announced the special premiere of This Ordinary Thing, a powerful documentary-style feature that brings to life the testimonies of non-Jews who risked everything to protect Jews during the Holocaust.
Through intimate readings, a group of legendary and Academy Award-winning actors portray over 40 men and women — ordinary citizens who chose compassion over fear while the continent was engulfed in the darkness of World War II.
Among the actors lending their voices to the documentary: Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons, F. Murray Abraham and Ellen Burstyn, Lily Tomlin and John Leguizamo.
The film was directed by Emmy-winning writer and filmmaker Nick Davis.
“It’s not a story that I knew very much about,” Davis told the Queens Gazette in New York. “I knew about [Oskar] Schindler, and maybe one or two others, but I didn’t know that there were so many people not working together, but just these little, what I call pockets of goodness, in a sea of evil, and that just blew my mind.”
Davis was referring to the German businessman who saved 1,200 Jews during the World War II. His story was later told in the 1993 Oscar-winning movie “Schindler’s List.”
This Ordinary Thing focuses on the "quiet heroism" of rescuers, many of whom were later recognized at Yad Vashem’s Avenue of the Righteous.
“Elegantly performed and deeply moving, This Ordinary Thing is a testament to the enduring strength of conscience — and a reminder that even the smallest act of goodness can change the course of history,” said Miami Jewish Film Festival organizers.
The festival will premiere the feature documentary on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 8 p.m. at O Cinema South Beach, 1130 Washington Avenue #200, Miami Beach, 33139.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: “This Ordinary Thing” documentary-style feature at Miami Jewish Film Festival
WHEN: 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.
WHERE: O Cinema South Beach, 1130 Washington Avenue #200, Miami Beach, 33139.
More information here
