AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY Discussion w/ Director Eva Zelig to Follow

AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY tells the story of European Jews who escaped Nazi persecution to find refuge in an unlikely destination: Ecuador, a South American republic barely known at the time. Featuring first hand accounts and archival material, the film follows the exiles' perilous escape and difficult adjustment as they remade their lives in what was for them an exotic, unfamiliar land. Through the exiles' personal testimonies, the documentary chronicles their heartbreaking search for a country that would take them in when most had closed their doors. It sheds light on why Ecuador, a small country with few resources, granted asylum to the refugees. The film provides fresh insights as it shows the refugees' struggles to build new lives while holding onto elements of their European culture. It explores relations between the local inhabitants and the European immigrants in their midst, and highlights the contributions the immigrants made to the economic, scientific, artistic and social life of their host country. E:mail summitfilm@gmail.com to reserve tickets.