Kluk v lese – Smart Maxwell (2023)

In the story of Maxwell Smart, seemingly incompatible elements come together. A traumatic experience as a child escaping the Nazis during World War II intertwines with the life path of a self-made man who managed to build a fulfilling life in Canada. The raw business talent that brought Maxwell success in the black markets of post-war Europe and in the real estate market in Canada mixes with his artistic talent, which he developed to the point of becoming a leading figure in Canadian abstract expressionism. After all the suffering and hardships he had to face on his own at a very young age, Maxwell Smart received an extraordinary gift. Thanks to the efforts of several organizations and individuals who continue to document the fates of Holocaust victims, he was able to reach a certain closure and find peace of mind after about seventy years. His memoirs pay tribute to this painstaking yet heroic work. The constant in the fascinating arc that spans from an Orthodox Jewish household in a Polish-Ukrainian town to a villa in suburban Montreal is the indomitable personality of Maxwell Smart, whose mother instilled in him the need to survive… and he listened.