Surviving Skokie

This riveting documentary centers on a series of dark days in small-town America that force a resilient group of Holocaust survivors to relive a devastating past. Eli Adler's deeply personal film follows the path of his father, Jack Adler, a Polish immigrant and concentration camp survivor who built a life in Skokie, Illinois. But the quiet existence of hundreds of survivors is rocked to its core in the late '70s when a neo-Nazi group announces plans to march through town. As the community comes together to confront these hate mongers, long-festering emotional scars and severe memories are uncovered. Adler combines fascinating historical footage and a penetrating first-person perspective to capture the intimate psychological details of 70 years of persecution and prejudice. The generational journey comes full circle after a poignant trip back to Poland provides a profound opportunity for father and son to connect with each other and their turbulent cultural history. (Mill Valley Film Festival)