Refined In The Fire

A short documentary that follows the story of the late 95-year-old Czech Holocaust survivor, Olga Wachtel, as she shares how adversity has shaped her life.

  • Anna Dvorak
    Director
    The Choice To Love, Pinch
  • Olga Wachtel
    Key Cast
    "As herself "
  • Angelique Opie
    Key Cast
    "Young Olga"
    Blood Bank, The Story Of Us
  • Jacqui Greenfield
    Key Cast
    "Olga's Mother"
    Cat In The Hat at the Sydney Opera House
  • Dave Coneer
    Key Cast
    "SS Officer"
    Hidden Threat, Thin Ice (Short)
  • Anna Dvorak
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 17, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    Czech, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:9:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University Of Technology
  • Top Indie Film Awards
    Tokyo
    Japan
    January 24, 2020
    Japanese Premiere
    Best Student Film Winner and Best Music + Best Editing Nomination
  • Film Miami Fest / Best Shorts Worldwide
    Miami
    United States
    Best Documentary Film Winner
  • Josiah Media Festival
    Texas
    United States
    October 17, 2019
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • ENENIMATION Festival, International Children and Youth Film Festival
    Maribor
    Slovenia
    November 26, 2019
    European Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Camera Zizanio
    Ilia/Peloponese
    Greece
    November 30, 2019
    Greece Premiere
    Official Selection
  • International Children's Film Festival Bangladesh
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    January 24, 2020
    South Asian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • International Women's Day Exhibition curated by WIFT Australia
    Hobart
    Australia
    March 30, 2020
    Australian Premiere
  • Ritz Randwick Uncovered
    Sydney
    Australia
    October 27, 2021
    Sydney Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kinofilm 17th Manchester International Short Film & Animation Festival
    Manchester
    United Kingdom
    March 21, 2020
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
    Kosice
    Slovakia
    Slovakian Premiere
    Finalist
  • Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    May 31, 2020
    Official Selection
  • New York Lift-Off Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    June 28, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    August 2, 2020
    Canadian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    September 13, 2020
    LA Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    October 11, 2020
    Scandinavian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions
    Iver,
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • Paris Lift-Off

    French Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Sydney Lift-Off

    Official Selection
  • Melbourne Lift-Off

    Official Selection
  • Manchester Lift Off

    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Anna Dvorak
    Sales Agent
    Country: Australia
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Anna Dvorak

Anna Dvorak is a trilingual filmmaker from Sydney, Australia with an Eastern European background and is a member of the Australian Directors Guild.

Her career has included not only film production but also podcast production, events, publicity and marketing. Anna has worked on various sets since 2018, ranging in genre and form, including films such as Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love & Thunder, Russell Crowe's Poker Face and David Leitch’s, The Fall Guy.

'Refined In The Fire' was Anna's first-ever entry into a film festival and it has screened and won some awards at over 20 international film festivals. It was also exhibited in Tasmania on The Loop in 2020 for International Women's Day.

In 2023, Anna is developing two feature documentaries called Generation Rent and Extreme Minds, while working on numerous other shorts.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"We all may like an Olga to look up to in our lives but more so I would say we need to be the Olga of our lives. Confident in the knowledge that as gold is refined in fire so we, who are more precious than gold, are refined through afflictions."