Watch an excerpt of 'Always Remember Your Name,' our documentary about a Sacramento Holocaust survivor
Five years ago, I opened a Facebook message from one of our Sacramento viewers that led to what is without a doubt the most important story I'll ever work on.
"I am not sure if you read these messages ...giving it a try," started the message from Sonia Edwards.
"I am the daughter of a Holocaust survivor Andra Bucci. You should be able to google her name of the Bucci sisters."
I googled and went down a rabbit hole of history so deep I wondered if I'd ever get out.
Andra and Tatiana Bucci are two of just 50 kids under the age of 8 to survive Auschwitz, the infamous concentration camp complex. The sisters were deported from Italy with their mother at the ages of 4 and 6. The notorious Dr. Joseph Mengele mistook them for twins and through remarkable twists of fate and luck, they survived.
Andra moved to the Sacramento area from Italy to live with her daughter Sonia about six years ago. But she returns to Europe to lead school kids on "memory trips" from Italy to Poland.
Andra and Tatiana are some of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz with memories to share. And they are among the dwindling number of Holocaust survivors capable of giving that first-person testimony that brings history to life.
We knew we needed to tell their story. In 2019, we started making plans to go on a memory trip with them. The pandemic hit two weeks before we were scheduled to leave.
The years went by. The sisters got older, as did the rest of us.
And, I wondered if we'd ever get to preserve their story the way we knew it had to be done. Firsthand. Traveling with them to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In January of 2024, producer Dave Manoucheri and cinematographer Victor Nieto finally traveled with the Buccis to Rome, Florence, Krakow and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Andra and Tatiana are 84 and 86. They're charismatic, charming and funny. They own a room the second they walk in. And when they're on a stage and bicker a little, like sisters of any age do, it's pure magic.
All of that creates the connection that makes teenagers listen to what happened to them 80 years ago. The kids listen, absorb and often rush the stage for hugs and selfies.
Why do they do it?
The power of remembrance is the best way to learn history. They tell their story to younger generations in the hopes that history will not repeat.
In a world where it's easy to spread misinformation online, their message is more powerful and important than ever.
It's been a true privilege to spend the last five years documenting the Bucci sisters' story for an American audience.
We invite you to come on a memory trip with us on Sunday, Oct. 27.
Watch our "Always Remember Your Name" documentary here.