Kim Harms
News editor
kharms3@jccc.edu
The college hosted an educational screening of the film “Big Sonia” on March 21 in Yardley Hall. The film follows Sonia Warshawski, a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor.
The theatrical version of the film is currently on its 16th week at the Glenwood Arts Theater in Overland Park. The film broke a record for the theater as the highest grossing film in the theater’s history.
Throughout the film, Warshawski shares the story of her experience at the concentration camp and the lasting emotional damage it left on her. Warshawski started sharing her story when she heard there were people denying the Holocaust. Since then, Warshawski traveled to local schools and prisons to tell her story inspiring her audience to always be kind and to never lose hope.
Isaiah Reasby, student, said the film inspired him after watching the outcome of Warshawski’s story. Reasby wants to share his story and inspire others like Warshawski did.
“It has definitely inspired me,” Reasby said. “As a [future] entrepreneur, [the film] made me want to create something for myself in the way that [Warshawski] has done for herself. I also want to inspire other people. I would love to get my story together and do something like she has done. I think her story is pretty positive, it definitely has some hard emotional aspects. I think the story of how she gets through everything is positive.”
After the screening, audience members had the chance to participate in the Q&A panel. The panel featured Regina Kort, Warshawski’s daughter, and Dr. Shelly Cline, public historian for the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.
Audience members asked about Warshawski’s life after she first moved to the United States. One audience member had met Warshawski several years ago when he went to her tailor shop. He was curious about how the process of Warshawski telling her story began. Kort encouraged the audience to stop by Warshawski’s shop anytime and ask her any questions they have.
Reasby thinks college students should see the film because of the positive impression it can leave on the audience. He said the film could help students who are dealing with problems in their personal life.
“In her life, she has gone through so much …” Reasby said. “It’s people like [Warshawski] you would think that can’t get through their [problems], but she did. If she can get through it, I feel like anyone else can.”
To find showtimes and to purchase tickets for “Big Sonia” click here.