Ingelore

About

Ingelore Herz Honigstein was born Jewish and deaf in Germany in 1924. Ignored by her parents, she was shuttled between various schools and tutors. At 13, she found her way to a school for the deaf, where she felt optimistic for the first time in her life. Of course, that optimism was shortlived as Hitler rose to power, and a series of horrible events are set in motion. She is raped, abandoned by her parents, and left to survive on her own, eventually making it to America. Her son, first time director Frank Stiefel, turned her story into a documentary in 2009, using a mix of interview (Honigstein's dialogue alternates between speech and American Sign Language), period recreation, and archival footage. HBO 2 will premiere the film on television on May 8, but see it here first. Stiefel and Honigstein will both be in attendance, and they'll host a conversation and take questions following the screening.