The P. O. Hviezdoslav Regional Library in Prešov invites you to a discussion and screening of a documentary film The cellar beneath house no. 38 female directors Veronika Homolová Tóthová, which highlights the powerful a story set during the Holocaust. The screening will be followed by a short discussion with the film’s creators.
When? 18 September 2026 (Friday) at 6.30 pm
Where? P. O. Hviezdoslav Library, Slovenská 18, Prešov – Non-fiction section
Admission for members: €2 per person
Admission for the public: €3 per person
The film is set in Bardejov and tells the story of Štefan Tarcalu, who was listed as the ‘aryanised’ owner of a shop selling iron, glass and porcelain on the main square. At the same time, however, during the Second World War, he hid young Jewish boys in the cellar of house number 38, thereby risking his own life and that of his family. He was later awarded a medal for saving them. Righteous Among the Nations.
In the film, his granddaughter Michaela sets out to trace her family’s past and tries to uncover the circumstances surrounding the rescue of three young men. A local policeman, Adam Bomba, and a postman, Jozef Kisel, also played a part in hiding them, providing information about planned raids and deportations. The cellar beneath house no. 38 It is a story of courage, solidarity and the determination to stand up to evil despite fear and the threat of the death penalty. The film also shows that behind the stark historical facts there are often human stories that can change our perspective on the past.
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