NEW YORK — Before the war, about 3,000 to 4,000 Jews lived in Bolochov, Poland; afterward, only forty-eight survived. Jampel Productions presents 'The Red Shoe', a short film based on true events that tells one teenager's journey as recounted by her granddaughter, Arielle Beth Klein. Directed by K. Lorrel Manning, the film premieres online January 28, 2026 — coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day — on the Crafty Short Films YouTube channel.
Forced to leave their families behind, two Jewish teenagers, Fanye (Arielle Beth Klein) and Rivkah (Ali Stoner), flee their Polish hometown during the Nazi invasion. Chased through the woods by an armed Nazi soldier (Bobby Hannum), the girls are forced to make continual life-and-death decisions. The cast also includes Carine Montbertrand and Jonathan Lipnick.
With cinematography by Kevin Ming Xiang Yu, 'The Red Shoe' had its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for the Hearts, Minds, Souls Award. It earned multiple nominations at its New York premiere at the SOHO International Film Festival — including Best US Short, Best Acting Ensemble and Best Lead Performance — and played at the Denver Jewish Film Festival, Ojai Film Festival and Wellsboro Film Festival, with Klein winning Best Actress at the AMT International Film Festival in New York.
Flashing between a joyful childhood, a terrifying present and an imagined future, 'The Red Shoe' seeks to emphasize the lost humanity of the Holocaust's victims. “Shedding light on the psychological horror, decisions and effects of war — these are real people with lives that were ripped away,” says Klein.
Jampel Productions was founded by writer-producer-actress Arielle Beth Klein and previously produced 'Tired Mind', which screened at eight festivals in 2022.
