The Mascot (2002)

Documentary: 55 mins
The Mascot is the story of one man's struggle to discover his stolen identity.
It traces the journey of Alex Kurzem, striving to reclaim his past in wartime Europe. Saved from the death pits by the very Nazi soldiers who killed his family, these soldiers transformed him into their five year old mascot. After witnessing the murder of his whole family and community he escaped into the forest where he wandered alone for months. He was found by Nazi soldiers but was not executed, instead they adopted him as their mascot. Instructed never to reveal his Jewish identity and indoctrinated with a new past and name, he lived as a young Nazi. Alex was a child soldier complete with uniform and machine gun. As a celebrated mascot of the frontline troops, he appeared in propaganda newsreels of the time.
Alex's journey into the past is beset with official and personal obstacles. Four years later Alex has found a name and a birthplace and has even placed a flower on his mother's resting place.
The Mascot won the 2003 Sydney International Film Festival Rouben Mamoulian Award for best director and the CRC Award for best short film. It aired on the ABC as part of an accord funding agreement in 2003 and 2005. It played at the Melbourne International film festival 2003, the London Australian Film festival 2004 (where it won equal best audience award for best documentary), the Miami Jewish Film festival USA in 2003, and the Warsaw International Film festival the same year where it won the Silver Phoenix.

[@nataliezantis3507]

What an incredible story, so sad to see the judgement from some, what a tale of survival, as I research my own family's Latvian history I really feel a sense of how torn he must feel, Such is the horrors of war, Shame on those that have judged him,My father and Grandmother came to Australia on the Nelly to.

[@natashkapowell2021]

I was fortunate enough to have met Alex about 6 years ago. How he is in this video is who he is a very quiet, respectful man, he told me of his story first hand. Every time we would meet up he would open up a little more. He has a beautiful quiet strength. Nobody should judge him for the things he did to survive at the age of 5, shame on those that have.

[@stevenhershman2660]

Alex and his Son Mark really came through telling this story that would have been lost if they did not write the book or make this movie. Incredible story !

[@carmenrosebrittan8282]

I am crying as I write this. Please forgive me, but I want so badly to thank you for being someone presumably Jewish based on your name who can appreciate this good man & what he went thru. I am of very mixed religious heritage including proudly part Jewish, & the hostility this poor man experienced by the Jewish community is absolutely heartbreaking. In his book it even says that the Mossad were after him at 1 point for being a Holocaust perpetrator at 5 years old! I thank God there are so many Jews who see the Palestinians' humanity. I can't help but wonder if the hardcore Zionists (I believe in a Jewish state) are just stuck in the black & white traumatized victim mentality as Holocaust survivors - I'm guessing there are some who are just complete racist @$$holes. Do you have any insight on their thinking by chance? But so many of their grandchildren & great grandchildren think the same. I literally read 1 hardcore Zionist woman's comment somewhere saying the Palestinians are a cancer that needs to be wiped out! I apolgize - my heart is breaking for this man as it has been for the Palestinians & your kind comment just caused me to burst out crying in gratitude❤

[@cristina64ification]

How can somebody only come up to the idea of judging a child? Amazing story, sweet person.

[@Fanflame]

I read this book The Mascot about 8 years ago and was utterly amazed as the storyline unfolded. I had never read anything like it before. And to think that this was the biography that a sonn wrote about his father was even more incredible. The resilience of the human spirit is amazing to, a I only came across this video as I was cataloguing all my books and was searching for an online summary of it. Thank you for sharing this online Mark and Linda.

[@sylviajones5034]

Amazing story. It needed to be told. My family friend came out on the same ship. Nellie. Wonder if the knew each other

[@brendancahill3376]

Very sad having read the book as well.

[@lisalitz-neavear7414]

I just read the book. Amazing story. How sad that his son Mark died so young of diabetes in 2010.

[@brendancahill3376]

@@lisalitz-neavear7414 That's so sad i did not know that .

[@nathangoss920]

What is the book called?

[@brendancahill3376]

@@nathangoss920 The Mascot by Mark Kurzem.

[@nathangoss920]

@@brendancahill3376 Grazie!!

[@jcqlnbecker1]

A truly amazing story brought to me and many others attention through a chance meeting your dad had with a lady Mandy Golding in Melbourne who posted their encounter on the FB Kindness Pandemic post. In a supermarket she helped your dad find cereal, they chatted and Alex told Mandy his story. How he had since lost your mother Pat and a son (your brother). So glad as it’s made many more aware of your dad, Alex’s incredible life. His story needed to be told. Glad he is not taking it to his grave. Alex you are a survivor ! On Mandy’s post many said they had read your book, some mentioned this documentary and also a film had been made. There will be surely be a ‘revival’ on the book written by you, after all it is Christmas time. I know I will be reading it this Christmas. My present to myself born on 25th 😊 How wonderful it was to see you taking your dad back there to see his childhood home, seeing the joy remembering the apple tree and where his dad’s shed had been, meeting his cousins, his half brother, watching that video of him with the Latvian children, etc. Made me cry to see what it all meant to him. Mark you told your dad’s story beautifully. Thank you !!

[@SJ-ow7ui]

Honestly, what choice did he have !! He had no one and food and shelter would have been his main priority at such a young age, especially coming into winter. It was no wonder he didn't turn insane from all the horrors he had witnessed in later life. Thankfully he turned into a humble old man. Thank you for the story.

[@fairmaiden6472]

How horrible to re live the horrors of what he had been a part of to survive. How horrible that he went to his death not knowing his real name or date of birth. R.I.P

[@fairmaiden6472]

It turns out these people were unfortunately no relation at all to him. However, through ancestry geneology, he was found to have relatives in Canada- a cousin once removed. He met them through a Zoom meeting