The Woman with the 5 Elephants

0 votes and 0 Reviews

In Theaters: July 20, 2011 (limited)

1h 33m | Documentary

In Freiburg, Germany, octogenarian Svetlana Geier lives a full, yet modest life. Born in 1923 in the Ukraine, the great-great-grandmother has experienced several tragedies that marked Europe in the 20th century, including Stalin's purges, the Nazi occupation and the massacre of thousands of Jews on the outskirts of Kiev. Her knowledge of the German language enabled her to survive as a translator before winding up in a German camp in 1943. She survives and goes on to become a renowned translator of Russian literature, including the great novels of Dostoevsky. Invited to talk to students in Kiev, Svetlana returns to her native land for the first time since her forced departure.