Writer-director Alana Waksman spent six years developing We Burn Like This to sort through her feelings about her Jewish identity, the inherited effects of historical trauma, and what self-acceptance and self-love looks like. This is a necessary glimpse into how deep such things go, and how little we as humanity have yet to learn from the violence we endure over and over again. A poetic indie drama, the film follows 22-year-old Rae, a descendant of Holocaust survivors who one day is targeted by neo-Nazis in her small town of Billings, Montana. The incident forces her to return home to her mother, where she uncovers the truth about a traumatic childhood accident. Through her journey, she learns to forgive herself, her mother, the broken world, and the tragedy her ancestors faced. Inspired by true events, this coming-of-age story shows the strength needed for survival and healing.

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The 2022 Miami Jewish Film Festival virtual program is made possible with the generous support of Benjamin Nahum and Tamar Roodner.