Vienna-born Hedi Argent was bullied at school for being Jewish. As a child, her friend was her doll Susi. Anti-Jewish laws forced Hedi’s family to flee Austria for England in early 1939, just six weeks before the borders closed. Told by her parents that she could only take one toy, Hedi realized that she could not fit Susi in her suitcase, so she instead took Little Susi, an identical smaller doll which “belonged” to Susi. For more than 80 years, Little Susi has remained a trusted friend and confidant to Hedi throughout her life in England. Hedi’s story is brought to life by animator Stivens Luyo.

From animator Stivens Luyo

I know the refugee experience firsthand—being forced to leave your home in search of a better life and better opportunities for your family’s future, the fear of what lies ahead and the uncertainty of whether or not you’ll be accepted in your new home. Although the particulars of my own story are different than Hedi’s, I believe that we are kindred spirits, two small threads in the grand tapestry of life, connected in ways both tangible and elusive. One of the things that immediately drew me to this story was Hedi’s incredible voice, powerful and vulnerable, wise but still filled with a sense of childlike wonderment. She reminds me of my own abuela, a witness to the perils of the past and an oracle to guide us into a better future. Every child hopefully has some sort of “Little Susi” in their home, something that defines a moment in time where an inanimate object could be our best friend and our connection to it created a sense of safety and security in rough times.

I’m grateful to Juliet Simmons, Noam Dromi and Reboot for allowing me to be a part of this beautiful project. When creating it, I imagined spending an afternoon with Hedi, going through old photographs, mementos and newspaper clippings that she has kept and being awestruck by what she has experienced and how it has made her a more empathetic person who cares deeply about the plight of the modern refugee. Together with the producing team, we tracked down incredible audiovisual source material that is powerful, haunting and a necessary reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and all global genocides that have harmed families across geographies and generations.