NEW YORK — Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Roberta Grossman will present the New York premiere of her latest short film, Extinguished Lives, at DOC NYC on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at the IFC Center. This 14-minute hybrid documentary brings to the forefront a little-known yet crucial chapter of Holocaust history: the systematic annihilation of Lithuania’s Jews by Nazi forces and their local allies during World War II.
Extinguished Lives tells the true story of a young Jewish bride who returns to her childhood home in Šeduva, Lithuania, seeking refuge from the Nazi invasion. Instead of safety, she and her family face the betrayal of neighbors and the terror of the so-called Holocaust by bullets, a mass murder carried out not in camps, but in the forests surrounding hundreds of shtetls. The film, inspired by survivor testimony and presented in collaboration with The Lost Shtetl Museum, investigates how centuries-old Jewish communities were annihilated “not by Nazi forces, but by local collaborators,” according to Grossman’s director’s statement.
Grossman, co-founder of Jewish Story Partners and an Academy member with over 40 hours of documentary film credits, aims to illuminate the tragedy and complexity of the Holocaust’s impact in Eastern Europe. Her earlier works include the widely celebrated Who Will Write Our History, Above and Beyond, and Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh, a documentary shortlisted for an Academy Award.
Extinguished Lives sits within a growing body of work focused on the destruction of Jewish shtetl life in Lithuania. The Lost Shtetl Museum, which co-hosts the film’s New York premiere, recently opened in Šeduva to document centuries of vibrant Jewish life and its eradication during the war. According to the museum’s director of education, Dr. Jolanta Mickute, Lithuanian shtetl residents, such as those in Šeduva, were targeted and killed in mass shootings orchestrated by both German occupiers and local collaborators, resulting in the deaths of 664 Jews over two days in 1941.
The film and its context will be further explored during an expert panel following the DOC NYC screening, moderated by festival executive director Raphaela Neihausen. Panelists include Grossman, Dr. Mickute, filmmaker Denis Dobrovna, and exhibit designer Büke Kumyol. The discussion, “The Need (or Not) for Holocaust Films in 2025,” will address issues of memory, representation, and the ongoing necessity to educate audiences about the Holocaust’s complexities and enduring relevance.
Grossman contends that Extinguished Lives is not merely a historical narrative but a vital reminder amid rising antisemitism and Holocaust denial. “This film exposes how a centuries-old community was erased not in camps, but bullet by bullet, village by village,” she notes. Survivor testimonies, such as those from Šeduva and museum oral histories, serve as key sources for the documentary.
Tickets for the New York premiere are available via DOC NYC and the IFC Center. The event underscores the importance of continuing to share lesser-known Holocaust stories, particularly as the number of living witnesses declines.
This article is based on verified information from DOC NYC, The Lost Shtetl Museum, festival organizers, and interviews with Roberta Grossman and museum officials.