A new documentary by Channel 4, and presented by Stephen Fry. will explore the true story of a WWII gay resistance.
This 1×60 documentary, Willem and Frieda: A Story of Resistance (working title), will foreground the stories of artist Willem Arondeus and cellist Frieda Belinfante who lived openly gay lives in the Netherlands and how they became the resistance when the Nazis invaded.
Willem and Frieda
The doc will tell the true story of how a group of misfits, including a gay artist, a lesbian musician and Jewish activists pulled off one of the most daring and far-reaching acts of sabotage in the history of the Dutch resistance.
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Together, Arondeus and Belinfantthey, forged identity papers for Jews, ultimately, saving countless lives. When the Nazis began to check the false paperwork against real files they came up with a daring plan to blow up the Central Records Office but without harming anyone.
Willem was ultimately apprehended and killed by a firing squad in 1943 while Frieda managed to escape to California, where she became a celebrated musician.
‘Remarkable Heroes’
Willem and Frieda: A Story of Resistance (w/t) will use previously unseen archive material and intimate interviews with those whose lives were inspired by the pair’s bravery and will reveal not only a story from history but also, through Fry’s own experience, today’s struggles for gay rights and the power of individuals to affect change.
Fry explained prior to the research conducted by Rik Carmichael and John Hay, the duo behind the doc, he wasn’t aware of the story of Willem and Frieda. But after learning about them he regards them as ‘being authentic and remarkable heroes’.
‘Living their lives as openly gay in the 1930s was remarkable enough,’ Fry explained, ‘But once the Nazi’s invaded their homeland of the Netherlands, they found in themselves a depth of courage and determination that is, across the years, still inspiring.
‘It’s a question we often ask ourselves – how would I respond to the occupation of my country? Would I fight for freedom or duck down and keep out of trouble? I think the world needs to be reminded of Willem and Frieda, ordinary people who found extraordinary inner resources.’