The documentary Prisoner of Her Past tells the story of Sonia Reich, a Holocaust survivor who developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from her experiences during World War II. Sixty years later, Sonia still struggles with PTSD. Her son Howard made the film to understand his mother's struggles. It conveys how PTSD affects both males and females and discusses survival. Through interviews with Sonia's therapist and Hurricane Katrina survivors, the film illustrates the long-term effects of trauma and PTSD.

1. PrisonerPrisoner
ofof
HerHer
PastPast

2. Prisoner of Her Past is the
story of Sonia Reich.

3. Sonia was a young, Jewish girl
during the Holocaust and had to
hide to escape the Nazis.

4. 60 years later...
she is still struggling
with the effects of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

5. Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder
An anxiety disorder that canAn anxiety disorder that can
occur after you've seen or experiencedoccur after you've seen or experienced
a traumatic event thata traumatic event that
involved the threat of injury or death.involved the threat of injury or death.

6. The filmmaker, Howard
Reich, is Sonia's son and he
made the film in hopes of
understanding his mother's
struggle during the Holocaust.

7. The central message of the film
includes 2 parts:

8. The central message of the film
includes 2 parts:
- The effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

9. The central message of the film
includes 2 parts:
- The effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
on Males and Females
- Survival

10. Effectiveness of communicating the message

11. Effectiveness of communicating the message
The film effectively communicated its message with
good sources and scenes that were set up to show the
message.

12. What did the filmmaker want the audience's
response to be?

13. What did the filmmaker want the audience's
response to be?
I believe that the filmmaker wanted the
audience's response to be that of understanding
and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder awareness
as well.

14. Sources used in the film
- Interviews with the Therapist
- Interviews with the Hurricane Katrina
Survivors
- Clips from local news of the night Sonia's
PTSD appeared

15. Sources used in the film
- Interviews with the Therapist
The Interviews with the Therapist showed how
Howard was looking for answers about his
mother's condition and how he discovered that
she has PTSD.

16. Sources used in the film
- Interviews with the Hurricane Katrina
Survivors
The interviews with the Hurricane Katrina
survivors helped to communicate the messages
of the film with the effects of PTSD and
survival because the girls told their stories of
surviving the hurricane. One girl especially
who they believed to have PSTD after she told
her story.

17. Sources used in the film
- Clips from local news of the night Sonia's
PTSD appeared
The local news clips showed the reasoning
behind the movie, which was when one night
Sonia left her home and started walking down
the street because she believed someone was
coming to kill her.

18. How does the film relate to the
course essential questions?

19. How does the film relate to the
course essential questions?
I believe the film relates mostly with the third of the
course essential questions.

20. How does the film relate to the
course essential questions?
I believe the film relates mostly with the third of the
course essential questions.
How have human choices had a local and global impact?

21. How have human choices had a local and global impact?
How does the film relate to the
course essential questions?
I believe the film relates mostly with the third of the
course essential questions.
I believe this because the choices made by the Nazis in
World War II not only killed millions of people in the
Holocaust and in battle, but their choices are still
affecting people today.

22. Questions I have that the film
did not address?

23. Questions I have that the film
did not address?
- What research about Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder is being done?

24. Questions I have that the film
did not address?
- What research about Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder is being done?
- Why does Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
only affect some people?

25. Questions I have that the film
did not address?
- What research about Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder is being done?
- Why does Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
only affect some people?
- What is known about Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder at this time?

26. Food for Thought

27. After viewing the documentary, I thought of a
possible connection from the cause of Sonia's
PTSD to a current event today.
The genocide in Rwanda happened in the early
1990s, but I wonder if the survivors of the
genocide already have PTSD or if there are some
who will have it appear later in life like Sonia did.
Food for Thought

28. THE
END