A free screening of an inspirational film telling how a group of Jewish children fled Nazi-occupied Prague and found refuge in the Potteries takes centre stage at the Stoke-on-Trent Film Theatre on Wednesday (28 June).

Winton: From Prague to Penkhull with Love, was produced by Stoke-based Inspired Film and Video as part of a Stoke-on-Trent City Council and City Centre Partnership project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The documentary carries interviews with four of the ‘Winton Children’ as they returned to Stoke-on-Trent 70 years after they were rescued from their war-torn homeland and brought to the Penkhull Children’s Homes in the Potteries.

There is also rare footage from the Stephen Spielberg Film and Video Archive based at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum along with archive material from the Winton Children and Penkhull historian Richard Talbot.

Sir Nicholas Winton is thought to have saved 669 children from Prague as the Nazi’s swept through Czechoslovakia.

“Winton masterminded safe passage to children who would otherwise have faced incarceration in concentration camps and almost certain death. His story did not emerge for many years but he is now known as the British Schindler,” said Mike McDonald of Inspired Film and Video.

“It was a privilege for us all at Inspired to be involved in making this important history documentary. We were able to capture the emotions and hear the reminisces of the four Winton Children as they returned to Stoke-on-Trent for the film, which also features Sir Nicholas’ daughter, Barbara, and Lord Alf Dubs, a Winton child who has had a distinguished political career.

“We were also able to interview Ruth Smeeth MP (Stoke-on-Trent North) and well-known local historian Fred Hughes.”

Wednesday’s screening is hosted by Ray Johnson MBE, Director of the Staffordshire Film Archive.

Doors at the College Road venue open at 7pm, with the film commencing at 7.45pm.

The film is also available online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBve_2qdfrc