Brief Description/Synopsis: “A Journey: 72 Drawings by Si Lewen” is both a deeply personal tribute and a historical reflection on the life and art of Si Lewen (1918–2016)—a remarkable artist whose visual storytelling and humanistic vision left an indelible mark on twentieth-century art. The film presents, for the first time, all 72 sequential drawings from Lewen’s powerful visual narrative A Journey, accompanied by an original score composed and performed by his grandson, Damon Kardon, who also produced and edited the film. The presentation opens with an introduction written by publisher Thomas Yoseloff and is narrated by Erin Kardon, giving voice to Lewen’s legacy through his family’s creative lens. Si Lewen’s life embodies the 20th century’s most profound struggles and redemptions. An immigrant who fled Nazi Germany, he returned to Europe as a U.S. Army soldier—one of the famed “Ritchie Boys”—and bore witness to the horrors of Buchenwald during its liberation. His subsequent artistic career transformed trauma into universal imagery, exploring the cyclical nature of war and humanity’s longing for peace. Art Spiegelman, creator of Maus, has called Lewen one of the “grandfathers of the graphic novel,” and Albert Einstein once wrote to him, “Our time needs you and your work.” This documentary seeks to honor that legacy—bringing together Lewen’s art, words, and family to illuminate both history and the enduring power of creative resilience. (Official Trailer Below).
DK ART &DESIGN 