AJFF: Long-Lost Brothers Open Lid on ‘Secrets’
By Sarah Moosazadeh | sarah@atljewishtimes.com
“Aida’s Secrets” will leave audience members on the edge of their seats as they try to unravel one family’s history torn by World War II.
The biographical documentary explores Izak’s journey as he uncovers the truth behind his identity and why he was sent to Israel for adoption from the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp after the war.
When archived documents and photographs lead Izak to discover an unknown brother living in Canada, he connects a piece of his history after 70 years. An arranged reunion between Izak and his newfound brother, Shep, creates unanswered questions when they decide to travel to meet their birth mother, Aida, in Quebec.
Unwilling to relive the horrors of the Holocaust, Aida is determined to keep the past hidden.
In their quest to find closure, however, Izak and Shep keep probing until more secrets emerge.
Do Izak and Shep share the same father? Why hasn’t Aida looked for her visually impaired son, Shep, for 70 years?
In a final attempt to expose the truth, Shep interviews aunts, uncles and cousins who could provide links to his past.
“Aida’s Secrets” explores the creation of modern Israel, the wave of Holocaust survivors who sought refuge within it, and its lasting impact on a new generation of Jewish children.
The film is a stark reminder of the aftermath of war and its lasting effects on refugees. It captures the horrors of World War II, social isolation and family separation and reveals heartbreaks, scandals and affairs as two brothers take a journey through time and seek a new sense of identity and security.
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