Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Presents: Big Sonia

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Presents Big Sonia, Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Documentary, Barcelona International Film Festival, 2017. The film will be shown on Tuesday, February 5, at 7 pm at the San Juan Island Grange, 152 First Street North. Admission is FREE to Film Society members otherwise a suggested $10 per person. 93 minutes

In a defunct shopping mall in Kansas, 91-year-old Sonia Warshawski runs the only remaining store, a tailor shop that she has owned for more than 30 years. When Sonia — a great-grandmother, businesswoman, and Holocaust survivor — is served an eviction notice, the specter of impending retirement prompts her to revisit her harrowing past as a refugee and witness to genocide.  For a woman who admits that she stays busy “to keep the dark parts away,” dredging up long-forgotten fears motivates her to dedicate herself to speaking publicly about her struggles to come to terms with her experiences.

Big Sonia explores what it means to be a survivor. A poignant story of generational trauma and healing, the film offers a laugh-out-loud-funny portrait of the power of love to triumph over bigotry, and the power of truth-telling to heal us all.  Will you let your trauma define you? Or will your past make you stronger?

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.