‘This Ordinary Thing’: Stories of Those Who Acted Righteously

Nick Davis’s documentary highlights the ordinary people who followed their conscience under great risk to save Jews.

(L) Ellen Burstyn is cast as the voice of (R) Maria Countess Von Maltzan, in “This Ordinary Thing.” Dream Series/gdcgraphics/CC BY 2.0

NR | 1h 2m | Documentary | 2026

“This Ordinary Thing” is not theological, but it celebrates the notion of free will. It quotes Jan Karski (via David Strathairn’s narration), acknowledging that the soul, representing the “capacity to choose between evil and good,” governs only individuals, whereas a “collective soul,” encompassing governments or societies, does not exist.