Family secrets and generations of contemporary history are uncovered in this sweeping international story that begins with World War II and concludes with an emotional 21st century family reunion. Izak Szewelewicz was born inside the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons camp in 1945 and sent for adoption in Israel. Secret details of his birth mother, an unknown brother in Canada, and his father’s true identity slowly emerge in this personal investigative documentary. Timely questions of identity, resilience, compassion, and the plight of displaced persons are brought to life as brothers Izak and Shep meet in Canada, and travel to a nursing home in Quebec to meet their elderly mother, the mysterious Aida. Aida’s Secrets is a powerful sojourn into the past, steeped in layers of history and reverberating with untold secrets. It premiered at Hot Docs 2016 and was among the "Ten Best Audience Favorites"; it also won the Audience Award at Docaviv 2016 International Film Festival.
Directors' Biographies
Shaul Schwarz: Shaul Schwarz is an Israeli documentary film director, cinematographer and award-wining photojournalist. His feature-length documentary Narco Cultura premiered at Sundance in 2013. Schwarz is based in Brooklyn, New York and is currently producing short film content for online publications while developing his third feature-length documentary. He is the founder of Reel Peak Films.
Alon Schwarz: Alon Schwarz began working as a video editor in Israel ten years ago and has since also directed short documentaries and produced a few commercial films. In 2013, Alon joined his brother Shaul as script writer and editorial consultant for the film Narco Cultura, which premiered at Sundance 2013.
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