Big Sonia

2017 "Survivor. Grandma. Diva."
7.5| 1h33m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 17 November 2017 Released
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Official Website: https://bigsonia.com/
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In the last store in a defunct shopping mall, 91-year-old Sonia Warshawski – great-grandmother, businesswoman, and Holocaust survivor – runs the tailor shop she’s owned for more than 30 years. But when she’s served an eviction notice, the specter of retirement prompts Sonia to resist her harrowing past as a refugee and witness to genocide.

Genre

Documentary

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Big Sonia (2017) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Cast

Director

Leah Warshawski, Todd Soliday

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Big Sonia Audience Reviews

Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Clevercell Very disappointing...
Executscan Expected more
KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
timitullis Alaskan Air has this movie on its menu this month. I decided to watch it and was not disappointed. I actually watched it twice it's so good. In this day and age of not being nice to one another this movie reminds us why we need to be. Sonia is someone that I wish I could've met in person she touched my heart deeply. It's a story about family it's a story about Love, it's a story about resilience and most of all it's a story about Sonia. It's well worth the time.
lbjecat Wonderful movie full of poignant moments with just the right touch of humor to dispel the sadness. Follow this 91 year old's story of her life from a concentration camp to current. Filmed in Kansas City but could be anywhere. Beautiful movie. Can't say enough good things about this film!! There needs to be a sequel!
concannonlaw This is one of the best films of 2017, and it is absolutely necessary for the times we live in. "Big Sonia" is the antidote to hatred and intolerance, to prejudice born of ignorance. At the end of the day, we are all people, regardless of the color of our skin, who we worship, who we choose to vote for, or who we kiss. This film makes you realize that the person sitting next to you on any given day may have a story that makes you think about who you are and what you believe.I am sure the filmmakers did not intend to make a film that could bring people together and teach them about tolerance and forgiveness. The film starts out as the story of somebody's eccentric grandmother and then morphs into something more. Much, much more. I am not going to talk about the plot or the characters. All I want to do is encourage you to see the film, prepare to smile, and prepare to think. Recommend it to your family and your friends, and watch it with your kids. Show them that the real superheroes in our world are actually living on any street in Anytown, USA, or simply working at the mall.
David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Some people anxiously await the day they can retire and spend their days fishing or reading, while others put it off as long as possible since they find their identity through work. The diminutive subject of this terrific documentary is 91 year old Sonia Warshawski. Her reasons for maintaining a 6 day work week are both heart-warming and chilling, and make for a fascinating story.Filmmakers Todd Soliday and Leah Warshawski (Sonia's granddaughter) do their part in allowing the charming and fiery lady to deliver her own message and recount the horrors of her childhood. Sonia is a Holocaust survivor. As a 13 year old in 1939 Poland, she and her family were taken. She never again saw her father or brother, took multiple beatings while being shuffled through 3 death camps (including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen), and ultimately watched her mother led into the gas chamber. In her own words, she says she "was in hell", and it's "a miracle" she made it out.You might assume that anyone who has experienced so much pain would be bitter and cynical, but that's not Sonia's way. In addition to running her tailor shop for 35 years, she is also an inspirational speaker at churches, schools and prisons. We get to see her in these presentations and we are struck by how her words carry such weight with the audiences – young and old. One of the convicts provides insight when he states, "It takes people who've been through something to reach those going through something". We also witness the way she connects with teenage students … something most of us have little success with.Of course, Sonia has embraced her story, but the emotions and pain are never far from her. She stays busy to keep the memories at bay, and finds the idea of retirement somewhat frightening. We meet her 3 children and hear stories of their childhood and her husband John, also a Holocaust survivor. John died from Alzheimer's complications, but he is remembered fondly by all. It's so touching to watch as Sonia shows us her mother's 75 year old scarf which she keeps under her pillow, and we are mesmerized as she recounts the incredible story of her liberation day.An NPR radio interview provides some structure throughout, but it's not necessary as we would follow Sonia wherever she leads. It's so much fun to watch her Overland Park customers greet her in the now- defunct shopping mall, and it's downright hilarious as she sports her favorite animal prints on her coat, shoes and purse … and even the cover on the steering wheel that she can barely see over! Mostly this is a life lesson from a master who teaches us "don't carry hate" … even though she admits to being unable to forgive. She leaves that to a higher power. She is the best example we could have for keeping history alive and spreading love and goodness.