Lost Town

Deep in Western Ukraine, in a clearing surrounded by forests and rich farmland, there once was a town called Trochenbrod. Founded in 1835 as a farming colony, by 1938 the town's exclusively Jewish population had grown to a bustling 3,000. Then, in 1942, Trochenbrod was decimated by the Nazis. Seventy years later we meet Avrom Bendavid-Val, whose father grew up there and who has dedicated his life to piecing together its history. Avrom visits the site dozens of times, teasing out scraps of information from locals about what daily life was like in the neighborly community. He travels the world to interview former residents including Betty Gold, a Cleveland Jewish leader who recounts the harrowing escape of her family from the Nazis. This heartfelt film combines imaginative animation with historic footage to capture the vivid sights and smells of the LOST TOWN. But possibly Avrom’s greatest achievement has been his organization of a yearly gathering of Trochenbrodian relatives, ensuring its story will be passed on to future generations. (In English, Ukrainian, Hebrew, Polish, and Portuguese with subtitles) – B.B.