By Sandra M. Borges | Special to the NB Indy
“I’m interested in ordinary people, doing extraordinary things,” said Yaniv Rokah, director of “Follow Me,” which screens October 18 and 20 at the Newport Beach Film Festival
The feature documentary offers an inside look into Gidon Lev’s life as a Holocaust survivor and his work raising Holocaust awareness on social media.
At 91 years old, Lev is a self-described “rascal” who has turned his story of past suffering into a source of hope.
The documentary “Follow Me” aims to spark viewers’ interest in an extraordinary man rather than provide all the answers about Lev’s journey, sharing his story with audiences at a time when Holocaust education is diminishing.
“You can’t tell people how to think. You can show them, you can inspire them,” said Rokah, and surely that is reflected across “Follow Me.”
The documentary takes a natural approach to what would otherwise have been a heavy-hearted load, if not for Rokah’s authenticity.
The documentary captures the sensitivity that Lev and Julie Gray, Lev’s longtime partner, bring to raising Holocaust awareness among millions on social media platforms. It’s a slippery slope that subjected Lev to antisemitism and Holocaust denial from the digital era, confronting him with hatred he thought he had long escaped.
But when hate reveals itself, it only further underscores the need for advocacy.
The shift in online perception anchored Lev’s commitment to spreading awareness, further awareness, including through his book “Let’s Make Things Better.”
“Don’t give up, don’t give in,” said Rokah. Lev’s journey is one of resilience across a life with many chapters, as a taxi driver and a flower delivery person. He began looking back after his second wife’s passing.
With the grace of a second act, Lev lost 26 family members in the Holocaust but gained 16 grandchildren in the course of his life. The documentary explores the complexities of his familial structure with his children, as well as what it means to rebuild a family after the Holocaust.
He is taking his activism to new heights, as he was invited to speak at the United Nations in January 2027 for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to Rokah.
The documentary also features Lev’s emotional reunion with a childhood drawing from his time surviving in Theresienstadt, as well as exclusive interviews with Sharon Stone, Montana Tucker, and Andy Cohen, and a preview of Lev’s lighthearted dance moves that keep him youthful.
“The film aims to show him as he is, without preaching or making a political statement,” said Rokah.
“Follow Me” is a must-watch at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where audiences will walk away taking a note from Gidon Lev’s positivity.
Tickets are available at www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
