Saul and Ruby’s Holocaust Survivor Band

Need a boost in these difficult times? Look no further than Saul and Ruby’s Holocaust Survivor Band.

Tod Lending’s loving, humorous and frequently moving documentary chronicles the friendship between 91-year-old drummer Saul Dreier and 87-years-young keyboardist/accordionist Ruby Sosnowicz, as well as the adventures of their titular ensemble, composed of fellow victors over the Nazi regime’s atrocities.

Now enjoying the good life in Florida, the two men — yes, Ruby is a dude — perform music regularly and, rather than just stay in their community, offer Lending the compelling narrative of the group’s efforts to raise funds to perform in Poland, specifically in Auschwitz and Warsaw. The quest of reconciliation and defiance is important to the guys and Ruby’s daughter Chana, who sings in the band and helps (the understatement of the year) with logistics and organization.

Copious humor arises through their rehearsals and Saul’s drum “lessons,” including plentiful bickering and other behind-the-scenes shenanigans that may inspire viewers to revisit This Is Spinal Tap. But considerable drama also stems from both fellows’ wives’ health issues, and, as one might expect with a film called Saul and Ruby’s Holocaust Survivor Band, there’s significant power in the rarity of their musical offerings, which also resonates with the people who come hear them play.

Those emotions become amplified once the guys return to their homeland, both with sympathetic and empathetic concert attendees, and as the gents return to scenes of great pain from their storied pasts, which reveal some surprising connections with a certain Spielberg film.

Lending captures it all with a steady hand and he edits with a sharp sense for entertainment and human interest, limiting the film’s run time to a fitting 81 minutes. As a result, the band’s core messages are heard even clearer: Remember the past and stop the current rise of anti-Semitism.

Available to rent April 22-24 via the Fine Arts Theatre