If you would like to donate to support our efforts, you can do so by clicking here. You can also experience all the films streaming in the Festival's virtual program by purchasing an All-Access Virtual Pass by clicking here.
TORCHBEARER JURY PRIZE -- 2026 MIAMI JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
In this searingly heartfelt and sweeping documentary, based on the internationally acclaimed book and theatrical production, Grammy-nominated concert pianist Mona Golabek shares the extraordinary story of her mother, Lisa Jura—a child-prodigy pianist whose life was forever changed by the Kindertransport. In 1938, Lisa was one of 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children rescued from Nazi-occupied Europe and brought to England. As antisemitic persecution engulfed Vienna, Lisa’s father, reduced to penury like so many of his fellow Jews, miraculously won a Kindertransport ticket while gambling. Faced with an unthinkable decision, he and his wife had to choose which of their three daughters would be saved. They chose Lisa.
Through rarely seen archival footage of wartime Vienna and London, intimate interviews, and stunning piano recordings, Mona recounts her mother’s journey—a story of music’s power to sustain the human spirit, to heal unbearable loneliness, and to create meaning amid loss.
Both deeply personal and profoundly universal, this remarkable life-affirming film stands as a luminous testament to survival, artistry, and the enduring strength of a mother’s love.
- Year2025
- Runtime75 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited Kingdom, United States
- PremiereNorth American Premiere
- DirectorJosh Aronson & Adam R. Wood
- ScreenwriterAdam R. Wood
- CastMichael Berenbaum, Mona Golabek, Jonathan Sacks
- CinematographerJosh Aronson, Jarod Cernousek
- EditorAdam R. Wood
If you would like to donate to support our efforts, you can do so by clicking here. You can also experience all the films streaming in the Festival's virtual program by purchasing an All-Access Virtual Pass by clicking here.
TORCHBEARER JURY PRIZE -- 2026 MIAMI JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
In this searingly heartfelt and sweeping documentary, based on the internationally acclaimed book and theatrical production, Grammy-nominated concert pianist Mona Golabek shares the extraordinary story of her mother, Lisa Jura—a child-prodigy pianist whose life was forever changed by the Kindertransport. In 1938, Lisa was one of 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children rescued from Nazi-occupied Europe and brought to England. As antisemitic persecution engulfed Vienna, Lisa’s father, reduced to penury like so many of his fellow Jews, miraculously won a Kindertransport ticket while gambling. Faced with an unthinkable decision, he and his wife had to choose which of their three daughters would be saved. They chose Lisa.
Through rarely seen archival footage of wartime Vienna and London, intimate interviews, and stunning piano recordings, Mona recounts her mother’s journey—a story of music’s power to sustain the human spirit, to heal unbearable loneliness, and to create meaning amid loss.
Both deeply personal and profoundly universal, this remarkable life-affirming film stands as a luminous testament to survival, artistry, and the enduring strength of a mother’s love.
- Year2025
- Runtime75 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited Kingdom, United States
- PremiereNorth American Premiere
- DirectorJosh Aronson & Adam R. Wood
- ScreenwriterAdam R. Wood
- CastMichael Berenbaum, Mona Golabek, Jonathan Sacks
- CinematographerJosh Aronson, Jarod Cernousek
- EditorAdam R. Wood