DESPERATE HOURS shares the little-known Holocaust stories of small groups of Turkish Muslims, Jews and Christians who worked together to save lives during a time when millions were murdered before the eyes of an indifferent world. The film, based on authoritative scholarship and interviews with survivors, former diplomats and clergy, explores how diplomats risked their own lives by rescuing Jews of Turkish origin. DESPERATE HOURS also recounts how the Yishuv — Jews from pre-state Israel — daringly used Turkey as a base to rescue Jews. The film also compellingly documents the tragic sinking of the Struma Refugee Ship and the odyssey of its lone survivor, as well as the infamous "Jews for sale" deal — the 1944 attempt to trade one million Jews for 10,000 trucks.