JIFF: Avenue of the Giants

Avenue of the Giants

“Majestic and hopeful… It feels as if one’s walking through the redwoods in Marin County that the title references – daunting but impressive.” – Film Threat

“A two-hander with impeccable storytelling and direction.” – Disappointment Media

Australian Premiere

An unlikely but powerfully healing friendship forms between a teenager and a Holocaust survivor in this gentle, moving film.

Herbert (Stephen Lang, Avatar) is an elderly shopkeeper who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. At the hospital, he crosses paths with teenager Abby (Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade) who has recently had her own brush with pain and death. As an experiment, Abby’s therapist encourages Abby and Herbert to exchange their stories with one another.

Slowly but surely, these two souls begin to open up to each other and Herbert reveals a long-held secret that he’s kept from everyone, even his own family, for over 50 years: that he escaped from the Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp when he was just a teenager.

Based on a true story, Avenue of the Giants is a testament to the power of sharing our struggles and the enriching possibilities of intergenerational friendship.

Rating

Unclassified 15+

Duration

102 min

Language

English

Cast

Stephen Lang, Elsie Fisher

Director

Finn Taylor