Documentary examines how what the U.S. did -- and did not do -- helped shape the Holocaust

A photo from the documentary “The U.S. and the Holocaust” shows an immigrant family looking across the water to the Statue of Liberty. But of the Emmy-nominated “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” directed with Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein — an unflinching three-part exploration of how America responded during that horrific time — Burns says, “I won’t work on a more important film.” After their “The War” and “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History” inspired a need for clarification as to what Americans thought, did and didn’t do about the Holocaust, the trio opted for a deep dive follow-up that would parallel the U.S. “But the more we dug into it, the more we realized we didn’t know that much, and we learned the parallels and complexities of what was going on in Europe versus what’s going on here.” Review Ken Burns issues a chilling warning with ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust’ Filmmaker Ken Burns’ latest documentary series, ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust,’ draws parallels to the recent rise in American nationalism and antisemitism. “We needed to get this out,” Burns says, citing Mark Twain’s observation that history may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. “Jefferson said we’re disposed to suffer evils while evils are sufferable, so this is going to take extra effort,” Burns says.