Prisoner of Her Past

The Huffington Post's Andrew Wander today published a review of Kartemquin's new documentary Prisoner of Her Past. Lauding the film as a "a brave work of personal discovery that explores a scandalously under-reported phenomenon," Wander compliments the film's subject and Co-Producer, Howard Reich, for having the courage to undertake the journey to investigate his mother's late onset post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD). Read the rest of the review.

Prisoner of Her Past had its North American premiere at the 2010 Big Sky Film Festival. On Sunday, February 28th at 1:30pm, audiences in Illinois will have a chance to watch a special "sneak preview" of the film at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. To find out about more screenings and the upcoming DVD release, join the film's mailing list.

Watch the trailer for Prisoner of Her Past.

Check out the Kartemquin YouTube channel to see brand new trailers for 2010 releases Prisoner of Her Past and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.

Click here to see Prisoner of Her Past. Click here to see No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.

Both films will be touring festivals this Spring, with a number of dates already confirmed. Check our Events page for screenings near you, or join our mailing list to stay informed!

The trailer for Kartemquin's new 2010 release Prisoner of Her Past will be made exclusively available this week to subscribers to the Kartemquin newsletter. If you'd like to be the among the first to see the trailer, please sign up here. All new sign-ups this week will be sent the newsletter containing a link to the video and a password to enter. There's also an exclusive interview with Steve James on his new film No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson and a review of new DVD Taylor Chain Parts I & II. Don't miss out!

Kartemquin Films will share a collection of activist documentaries, including Labor Stories, Taylor Chain I & II, Golub: Late Works are the Catastrophes, and new 2010 feature Prisoner of her Past, at the first ever Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland during April 23-25th 2010. Kartemquin's Jerry Blumenthal and Judy Hoffman will attend. Screening times are as follows:

Prisoner of Her Past (4/24, 12pm)

Taylor Chain I & II (4/24, 4:30pm)

Golub: Late Works Are the Catastrophes (4/24, 8:30pm)

Labor Stories (4/25, 4pm).

Get more information.

Kartemquin is pleased to confirm the North American premiere of Prisoner of Her Past at the 2010 Big Sky Film Festival, in Missoula, Montana, at 1.30pm on February 14th. The film, directed by Gordon Quinn, is based on Chicago Tribune Jazz critic Howard Reich's book The First and Final Nightmare of Sonia Reich: A Son's Memoir. It will screen as part of the 'New Doc City: Non-Fiction Films From Around the World' section of the festival.

Illinois audiences will also be able to catch a "sneak peek" screening of the film at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie on February 28th. Howard Reich will be present for the screening and a panel discussion following the film.

Kartemquin's long-awaited documentary about late-onset post-traumatic stress disorder, Prisoner of Her Past, will finally be playing festivals and screening to the public in 2010. The film is based on The Chicago Tribune Jazz critic Howard Reich's book The First and Final Nightmare of Sonia Reich: A Son's Memoir.

In the meantime, click here to listen to a Pritzker Military Library podcast interview with Howard Reich from 2008 discussing working with Kartemquin on the film.

We are excited to announce that the Illinois Arts Council has awarded Kartemquin Educational Films a grant of $7,970 for support of the feature length documentary Prisoner of Her Past.  The film will tell the story of Chicago Tribune journalist Howard Reich's journey to uncover his mother's childhood during World War II in order to understand why she is reliving it 60 years later.  We are grateful for the support.

Read this great feature in the Evanston Review on Jim Trompeter, the composer for Kartemquin's Prisoner of her Past. He's playing this weekend at the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Come to the Printer's Row Book Fair on Sunday the 8th for a discussion with Howard Reich and Gordon Quinn about Kartemquin's doc-in-progress, Prisoner of Her Past. New clips from the film will also be showcased. Get more information.

Howard Reich will discuss his mother's story and screen clips from Kartemquin's documentary in progress, Prisoner of Her Past at the Pritzker Military Library on March 31st. The interview and live webcast start at 6:00pm. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are strongly recommended by phone, 312-587-0234, or email, events@pritzkermilitarylibrary.net.

This winter Prisoner of Her Past raised nearly $80,000 in individual donations as a result of a screening and benefit generously underwritten by Sage Foundation. The event, hosted by WTTW's John Callaway, featured new footage from the documentary, a photography exhibit from the film by the Tribune's Zbigniew Bzdak, and a discussion between youth-trauma expert Dr. Joy Osofsky and producers Howard Reich and Gordon Quinn. The Prisoner of Her Past team is extremely grateful to all of the amazing donors who contributed to the success of the event.

Indiewire's latest production report includes Kartemquin's work-in-progress, Prisoner of Her Past. Read the story.

Kartemquin is excited to invite you to a discussion with Howard Reich and John Callaway about Kartemquin's documentary in progress, Prisoner of Her Past, Sunday, May 20th at 5:30pm in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre. The event will include footage from the film and a reception with refreshments. View the details on how to RSVP here (pdf).

Kartemquin's Jerry Blumenthal was recently interviewed by The BG news during a visit to the Bowling Green campus earlier this month. He speaks eloquently about his history with Kartemquin and about his current project, editing Prisoner of Her Past. Read the article here

Howard Reich will appear on WTTW - Channel 11’s “Friday Night with John Callawayâ at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 29th to discuss his recent book about his mother as well as Kartemquin’s forthcoming film on the same subject, Prisoner of Her Past.

The University of Chicago's Kartemquin Retrospective culminates this weekend with a screening of Golub: Late Works are the Catastrophes this evening at the Gene Siskel Film Center at 8pm, a Master Class with Gordon Quinn and Jerry Blumenthal tomorrow morning, Saturday the 12th, at 10am and a panel on Documentary at 1:30 following. Saturday's events take place on campus. You can get more information here.

This Sunday the 13th, Kartemquin has two presentations at the Chicago Humanities Festival. At noon, "Revisiting The New Americans" with filmmakers Jerry Blumenthal, Steve James and Gordon Quinn, takes place at Depaul University. At 2:30, Gordon and Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune meet with John Callaway to screen a sample from our current production, Prisoner of Her Past and discuss the production at the Merle Reskin Theatre. More information on both events can be found here.

Kartemquin Films will be involved with two events at the 2005 Chicago Humanities Festival.

Sunday November 13th - Noon
KARTEMQUIN FILMS: Revisiting The New Americans

The New Americans tracks four years in the lives of a diverse group of contemporary immigrants and refugees as they journey to start new lives in America. A 40-minute excerpt of the award-winning film is followed by discussion with the filmmakers Gordon Quinn, Steve James, and Jerry Blumenthal. More information/tickets

Sunday November 13th - 2:30pm
HOWARD REICH, GORDON QUINN: Prisoner of Her Past

Gordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films and Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune present excerpts of their documentary-in-progress, Prisoner of Her Past. The film will trace Reich's attempt to uncover his mother's tragic Holocaust childhood in order to understand why she is reliving it, 60 years later. Quinn and Reich discuss the film with John D. Callaway. More information/tickets