Licco Max Haim (1910-2002), an amateur filmmaker, was asked by the military commander of the 4th Construction Company of the 1st (Jewish) Labor Battalion to make a film of their activities and deliver it to him. Licco did so, but managed to hide one 8mm roll (Film ID 4115), shot in the summer of 1941 to build a road in Lakatnik as part of the forced labor battalion. Most of the Jewish men in the unit had resided in Sofia, mostly in the neighborhood of Iuchbunar. After the summer of 1941, Licco was summoned to work on the repair of cars in Sofia, as he was expert as a mechanic. He married Berta on December 18, 1941.
Anny could be the name of Licco's cousin who did the matchmaking between Licco and his wife Berta.
In early March 1941, Bulgaria joined the Axis alliance and, in April 1941, participated in the German-led attack on Yugoslavia and Greece. In return, Bulgaria received German authorization to occupy most of Greek Thrace, Yugoslav Macedonia, and Pirot County in eastern Serbia. Beginning in July 1940, Bulgarian authorities instituted anti-Jewish legislation that excluded Jews from public service, restricted their choice of places of residence, and restricted their participation in many occupations. However, during the war, German-allied Bulgaria did not deport Jews from the core provinces of Bulgaria. All male Bulgarian Jews were sent to forced labor camps in Bulgaria to build roads and bridges. In 1941, the Bulgarian military oversaw the labor camps and under their rule the treatment of Jewish nationals was harsh, but not completely unhuman. Males aged 20-46 were drafted. Later, the security forces took over managing the labor camps, and conditions worsened. Still, most of Bulgaria's Jews survived the war; in fact, the Jewish population remained the same as it was in 1939 (roughly 50,000), though almost 90% left the country by 1950.
AGFA 8 1939. Handwritten title"Winter 1940" Title over with the date 25 February 1940 over a still image of the group with their names. Two men tie skis to the roof of a car. CUs, of women as they walk on a city sidewalk to join the ski trip to the winter resort at Borovets. Good MS of the group skiing on the slopes. 01:03:46 Title with date 21 April 1940,"On the South Side of Black Pea" at Vitosha Mountain. Mountaineering and skiing. 01:07:25 Title with 21 April 1940 date,"Anny and Licco on the Wal", a skiing track on the south side of Black Peak. Zinka, Kiro, Anny, and Licco (the bald man) ski. 01:11:05 Title with 27 April 1940 date,"The Black Pea". The group (Anny, Mitsha, Kiro, Densho, Gosho, Djoni, and others) again skis around poles. A chalet, which still exists, on the peak. AGFA 8 1939 [8 distinguishes the film gauge of 8mm].
Licco Haim and friend ski and climb mountains