DVD Review: Searching For Victor “Young” Perez: The Boxer Of Auschwitz

I’ve long been fascinated by World War II, and particularly by the atrocities committed by the Nazis. These days it seems more important than ever to not forget what happened then. What is intriguing is that there are still more stories to learn about the people and activities of that time. One such story is told in the documentary Searching For Victor “Young” Perez: The Boxer Of Auschwitz. Perez was a champion boxer who was taken to Auschwitz, where he was forced to box to entertain the Nazis. The documentary is told from the perspective of Tomer Sisley, a writer and actor who hoped to play Perez on screen. In doing research for the project, he met with the last surviving people who knew Perez. And so this film is not only the story of Victor “Young” Perez, but of Tomer’s search to learn about him. Tomer Sisley narrates the film in addition to appearing in it.

Tomer Sisley speaks with people who knew Perez before the war, shedding light on what he was like both as a boxer and as a person, and on his relationship with actor Mireille Balin. That relationship is particularly interesting, as Balin would become both a big star and a known collaborator with the Nazis. Also interesting is that Perez refused to wear the yellow star. In 1943, he was arrested by French police and sent to Auschwitz. Sisley interviews a Holocaust survivor who was on the same train as “Young” Perez. A casual question from Tomer Sisley about Perez’s name leads to one of the most heartbreaking line of the film: “I knew him under circumstances when nobody had a name anymore.” Also heartbreaking are his descriptions of those he saw on the train and his experience upon arriving at the camp. He says that “even the Germans were impressed to know that in this convoy was a world champion.”

The film takes us to Auschwitz, where a survivor who knew Perez acts as a guide for Tomer Sisley, showing the barracks and relating some details that are horrifying. Even if you’ve heard some of these things before, watching a survivor describe them can’t help but move you. And there are some details I hadn’t known before. The documentary spends a good amount of time at Auschwitz, and all of this material is fascinating. There is not much left of the specific camp where Perez was held, but what we do see of it is captivating. The film then travels to Israel where Tomer Sisley interviews one of the last Auschwitz boxers still alive. This material too is completely engrossing, and this man is able to shed light on Perez’s death. Less interesting are the shots of Tomer writing his script and training to be a boxer himself. That stuff is unnecessary, and fortunately is kept to a minimum. In addition to the interviews and current footage of the concentration camps, the film does include some old still photos and footage of “Young” Perez boxing.

Searching For Victor “Young” Perez: The Boxer Of Auschwitz was directed by Sophie Nahum, and was released on DVD on June 26, 2018 through MVD Visual. The film is presented in French, with English subtitles. The DVD contains the film’s trailer.