Want to drop us a line? Either fill in the form below or send an email to info@prisonerofherpast.com. We really do check this email address regularly– we promise!
[gravityform id=”2″ name=”Contact Us” title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”true”]
5 comments
Comments are closed.
Hey,
I’m the photo editor for Tarrant County College’s student newspaper “The Collegian.”
May we have a press release of images to run?
Thanks,
Casey
As a child of child survivors, my first thought after watching the film was that Sonia’s state of mind and the world she now inhabits is, perhaps, one of the darkest I have encountered. But my response was a kind of self-defense. After viewing your film, I called my mother, who recounted that in her nightmares, she ran with her children to save them from harm. (I recall her frantic footsteps down the stairs at night, so it is a sensory memory only). And she was the most balanced of my parents because, like Leon, she survived under false alias with a nurturing aunt who posed as her sister. And like Leon, my mother relays her narratives, which have become an integral part of who she is. My father, on the other hand, found language a more difficult medium. He survived alone in the forests of Belarus at twelve. We lived with his rage and his kindness, never knowing which side we would confront at any given time.
The common threads here became evident to me. I too have explored these themes as a member of the first-generation of survivors, or as Eva Hoffman puts it, one of the “hinge” generation, in poems and prose.
Thank you for your honest film, Howard.
Sincerely, Carol.
I was very moved by the story of your Mother. The family trauma for all of your family was so significant and continues to this day. You had feedback from a psychologist regarding the state you Mother was experiencing and I wondered if anyone has suggested techniques for managing PTSD that are being used quite successfully with recent veterans and also those from Vietnam and other times of war. I would be very interested in discussing these ideas and techniques with you and feel they may be helpful for your Mother, and for you and your sister. There are techniques available for reducing the effects of trauma for the students in New Orleans as well.
I saw this film last night. Thank you for sharing this important story. God bless you.
Howard, seeing your mother last night on film brings memories of having worked with PTSD clients in Skokie. It was poignant how she went through her days still alert and oriented but with the memories of running all the time. You are one wonderful son having gone through her story with her!