1 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 17 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
"How did one woman save 2500 children?"
2009 1h 36m EN
👍
7.4
SOLID
★7.4TMDB · 128
DramaWar
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Irena Sendler is a Catholic social worker who has sympathized with the Jews since her childhood, when her physician father died of typhus contracted while treating poor Jewish patients. When she initially proposes saving Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto, her idea is met with skepticism by fellow workers, her parish priest, and even her own mother Janina.
“How did one woman save 2500 children?”
Cast
Anna Paquin
Irena Sendler
Goran Višnjić
Stefan Zgrzembski
Michelle Dockery
Ewa Rozenfeld
Danuta Stenka
Hannah Rozenfeld
Maja Ostaszewska
Jadwiga
Krzysztof Pieczyński
Dr. Janusz Korczak
Jerzy Nowak
Old Rabbi
Rebecca Windheim
Karolina Rozenfeld
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- John Kent Harrison
- Writers
- John Kent Harrison, Larry Spagnola
- Languages
- Latvian, English, Russian, German
- Countries
- United States of America, Latvia, Poland, Canada, Lithuania
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Latvian, English, Russian, German.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 5 countries: United States of America, Latvia, Poland, Canada, Lithuania.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by John Kent Harrison, shot by Jerzy Zieliński. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Henk van Eeghen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Anna Paquin and Goran Višnjić and Michelle Dockery carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "How did one woman save 2500 children?".
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
John Kent Harrison directs. Jerzy Zieliński behind the camera. Jan A. P. Kaczmarek scores. Henk van Eeghen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America, Latvia, Poland, Canada, Lithuania. Dialogue in Latvian, English, Russian, German.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Released 17 years ago.
- 2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Latvian, English, Russian, German.
- 3International production across 5 countries: United States of America, Latvia, Poland, Canada, Lithuania.
- 4Directed by John Kent Harrison, shot by Jerzy Zieliński. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Original score by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 6Editor Henk van Eeghen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7Anna Paquin and Goran Višnjić and Michelle Dockery carry the top of the cast.
- 8Marketing tagline: "How did one woman save 2500 children?".
- 9IMDB entry: tt1010278 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 10Classified under 9 themes, including "nazi", "holocaust (shoah)", "world war ii", "biography".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Jerzy Zieliński
- Original score
- Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
- Editing
- Henk van Eeghen
- Production design
- Waldemar Kalinowski
- Costume design
- Paweł Grabarczyk
- Makeup / hair
- Trefor Proud
- Runtime
- 96 min · 1h 36m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
Also by
John Kent Harrison
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
- JE
Jeff Most Productions
US
CBS
US
Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions
US
- BA
Baltmedia
PL
- MO
Most / Rice Productions
Forma Pro Films
LV
Narodowy Instytut Audiowizualny
PL
- TE
Telekompaniya Klass!
K&K Film Selekt
PL
Lithuanian Film Studio
LT
Key crew
- ProducerBeata Pisula
- EditorHenk van Eeghen
- ProducerCameron Johann
- ProducerKrzysztof Grabowski
- Executive ProducerBrent Shields
- Executive ProducerJeff Most
- Executive ProducerJeffrey Grant Rice
- CastingDenise Chamian
- CastingDonatas Šimukauskas
- CastingKatarzyna Janicka
- Script SupervisorTracy Young
- CastingBrigita Lībiete
- Production DesignWaldemar Kalinowski
- Makeup Department HeadTrefor Proud
- CastingPriscilla John
- Co-ProducerDominique Lesage
- Costume DesignPaweł Grabarczyk
- Production ManagerInga Kruk
- Music EditorDominika Kotarba
- Production CoordinatorMagdalena Wachowska
- "B" Camera OperatorJeremi Prokopowicz
- Production CoordinatorBarbara Osuchowska
- Co-ProducerMichał Merczyński
- Master Lighting ArtistHubert Stawicki
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- nazi
- holocaust (shoah)
- world war ii
- biography
- based on true story
- historical drama
- 1940s
- war drama
- hallmark
Release history · US
When it landed
- TV2009-04-19NR
Also known as
International titles
- A Courageous HeartNL
- O Coração Corajoso de Irena SendlerBR
- The Warsaw GhettoGB
- A Coragem de Irena SendlerBR
