Big Sonia, film by Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday
Big Sonia follows a tiny woman with huge impact. Standing tall at 4’8″, Sonia Warshawski packs an oversized personality. Diva, business owner, and Holocaust survivor, Sonia is served an eviction notice for John’s Tailoring, the last (and most popular) shop inside a dying mall in suburban Kansas City. Sonia struggles with retirement, while her life lessons span generations.
“While Sonia has appeared on television many times as one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors in Kansas City,” explained filmmaker and Sonia’s granddaughter Leah Warshawski, “the story that the news media insists upon is only the tip of the iceberg. We are making this film because within our lifetime, we will witness the death of the last Holocaust survivor. We want to ensure their stories will not be forgotten, and we want to do it in a unique way that captures the attention of the broadest audience possible. We are not making a typical "Jewish movie" or a "Holocaust movie.” Instead, we are creating a unique, humorous, and engaging film (for people of all races and religions) that will encourage audiences to examine their own lives and how to maximize each precious day.”
Filmmaker Leah Warshawski will be in attendance for a Q&A after the film.