| Summary: | The largest population of Holocaust survivors, per capita, outside Israel lives in Melbourne, Australia. This film examines the impact of institutionalizing the care of aging survivors of the Holocaust. These survivors are facing death and isolation for the second time, as they make the traumatic transition to an old-age facility. Dementia, memory loss and physical immobility contribute to a splintering of identity. Removed from their families, homes, familiar routines and the outside community, past horrors come flooding back. Long Shadows examines the impact of institutionalization on three survivors and their spouses in Melbourne s largest Jewish old age facility. One of the residents guides us through this teeming "tower of Babel" that houses up to six hundred residents formerly from all over Europe. He relates his personal tale of tragedy and love. Evelyne, a child survivor aged sixty, must face moving to the home prematurely since an accident has rendered her dependent. Alzheimer s sufferer Dora is an example of how how massive trauma affects these patients and the people who love and care for them. All three stories are delivered with honesty and humor, and underscore the importance of love for survival.
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