Polish WWII Siberian Exile Stories in Schools and Libraries in America

A group of 80-year-old survivors currently living in Seattle, Washington became film makers and created an animated documentary (DVD) and an accompanying graphic novel sharing their personal stories of Soviet deportation of Poles during WWII to Siberia. 

 A Trip to Nowhere is a documentary film written, directed and illustrated by Shannon Hart-Reed, Aparat Films, and produced by the Polish Home Ladies Auxiliary in Seattle, Grazyna Balut Ostrom and Martha Golubiec. In the animated film, a dynamic group of Seattle women tackles their tragic childhoods by shedding light on the untold stories of the forced deportation of over a million Polish women, men and children to Siberian labor camps by the Soviet Union during WWII. Hundreds of thousands died within their first year of imprisonment. A fascinating and inspiring tale of survival, the film brings this tragic and secret part of the WWII history to the forefront through the stories of those who were rescued by Gen. Wladyslaw Anders Army (Polish Armed Forces).

 The project is intended to appeal to all generations and through art, music and memories of survivors sheds the light on the untold stories. The group just launched a campaign to raise funds needed to donate the novel and DVD to schools, Polish community groups and local libraries across the globe.  

To learn more go to: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-truth-matters/x/5303125 

Half of the survivors in the book have passed away in the last few years due to natural causes and this is the last effort to truly support the wishes of all survivors involved - to get the stories out to the public, to schools and other groups.

Please feel free to ask for more info - Krystyna Balut (survivor) and Grazyna Balut Ostrom (daughter) at

thetruthmatterspolishproject@gmail.com