Prisoner of Her Past

By Jon Bradley

Prisoner of Her past is starred by Howard Reich, a journalist from the Chicago Tribune.

Prisoner of Her past is a self stared documentary of Sonia Reich, Gordan's

mother. Sonia is a holocaust survivor and haunted by what she went though to survive.

Sonia Reich is originally from Poland. Sonia was forced into the newly forming ghettos created by the Nazis at an extremely early

age.

While in the ghetto Sonia escaped with her cousin Leon and was continuously running from the Nazi's. Sonia ran for 2

years.

Sonia now suffers from what doctors recently diagnosed as PTSD (Post Dramatic

Stress Disorder). Sonia is now living in nursing facility after running out of her house in 2001 believing she was being chased by

Nazi's

Leon, Sonia's cousin also escaped the ghetto, ran and hid from the Nazis. Then

Leon was taken in by a farmer.

Howard Reich visited Leon and his son in Poland to find out more about his mothers

past. Leon is extremely open about his past while Sonia is not. Leon is trying to teach his son about what happened to him during the

Holocaust.

Howard Reich shows the different effects that males and females went though. Leon was open and willing to talk about his past.

Sonia believes that its not the past and keeps reliving the horrors she endured.

Howard Reich central message is that males and females cope and handle traumatic experiences differently. The example of

Sonia and Leon are key. Leon is teaching and telling his and accepted it while Sonia is secretive, wont tell anyone and still believes her past is not her past and is still reality.

Sonia's house as a child

The second half of the message communicated was the PTSD does effect more people then believed. PTSD effects

many people differently. It was not confirmed by doctors that Sonia had it for

many years.

In the film, the message that was being communicated was done though examples.

First came Sonia, then Leon and finally a group of girls effected by hurricane Katerina.

Sources used in the film were 3 real life experiences. Sonia, Leon and the group of girls displaced by Katerina. Another source

was the psychiatrist.

Sonia gave insight to a female that had PTSD and kept reliving her

past. Sonia could not get away from what had

happened and developed what seemed to be habits from when she was in the

back woods in Poland.

Leon gave insight in how a male was

effected by a traumatic

experience. Leon accepted his past as his past and

have moved on.

The schools girls gave insight into how they were effected by a different traumatic

experience. Some kept bags packed ready to move if another hurricane stuck, even if

they were in the Midwest or somewhere that did not have hurricanes.

School girls talking about their traumatic experience and how it effected them

The essential question, “how had human choices had a local and global impact?” relates to the film

Prisoner of Her Past as it is based of human choices. The choice of Hitler to create the Nazi

party.

Sonia made a choice, she decided to run, then to stay in the ghetto. That choice

effected the local community because she was never going to see them again and her may of inspired hope or gave a bright spot in

an other wise horrible life.

A question I had after viewing the film was whether or not Sonia accepted Leon and whether he was someone she needed to

forget to overcome her PTSD

Sonia rejecting Leon

The relationship between Holocaust survivors and natural disaster survivors are connected. Both have the fear of what just

happened and that without help, the fear will take over their lives.