W+B > FILM

'THE SOLITARY LIFE OF THE STOIC' [Dir. Whitehall, Short Documentary, 2018, Super 8 + Mini DV, 10:55 min, b/w with Colour]


'The Solitary Life of the Stoic’ is a short documentary project that juxtaposes the formidable life story of a Hungarian Jewish woman with imposing architectural structures and expressive visual imagery.

Born in 1924, Leah Laufer shares vivid stories of her childhood and shadowy memories as a young woman coping during the Second World War - recalling memories of imprisonment in a Viennese concentration camp as ‘not so bad’. And at the age of 92, Leah is still reciting anthemic Hungarian prose she learned as a young girl.

Shot in Central Europe and integrated with portraits of Leah in Toronto, this film aligns visual poetry with the wisdom of an old friend, candid confessions of life at her stage and the gratitude of a survivor.

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