3. Howard Reich
Wrote the book
“Prisoner of her Past”
and was also its
filmmaker
Oblivious to his
mother's past for the
majority of his life
4.
Sonia Reich
(mother of Howard
Reich)
Jewish Holocaust
survivor from
Dubno, Poland
Suffers from a
severe case of Late
onset Post
Traumatic Stress
Disorder
Lives in the past but
is in denial of
5. Leon (lived with Sonia during the
Holocaust.
On the run during the Holocaust in Dubna,
Poland.
Ran into Sonia when they were teenagers.
Accepted the horrors of the past and was
6. What is the central
message?
Accept your past and do not deny it
Tell your story
Family will be able to know where
they came from
Pass along the story to prevent it
from happening again
9. Accepting
Leon accepted his past and was able to
confront it later on in his life.
Was better off mentally than Sonia.
10. Denying
-Sonia had trouble accepting and coped
with her memories by denying them
-Denies everything having to do with the
past
-PTSD
11. Filmmaker's Expected
Response From the
Audience•
Family history can be a surprising thing.
Life changing effects of the Holocaust.
People can deal with the same issues but
in different ways.
Do not feel sorry for people suffering from
PTSD. They simply just need guidance
and understanding.
Stay in the fight!
12. Sources Used in Film
Holocaust survivors who were willing to tell
their story
Footage from Dubno, Poland
Reactions of Sonia Reich
Jazz music
13.
14. What is the role of the
individual in the
modern world?
-Accept your past and learn from it
Help others with the wisdom gained
from an experience
16. Questions
Unanswered
Is Howard Reich upset about the atrocities
that essentially ruined his mother's
mental health?
Is it important for this story to be passed
down to his children and his children's
children?
