A part of PBS, America's Home for Documentaries. Jacqui soon realized what was happening and it destroyed her marriage. The final message is that children can heal from abuse, but only if its recognized and they can talk about it, and as adults, we need to help them let go of this secret and give them the support they need so they can heal.. Neulingers behavioral changes and plummeting grades were the touchstones. Given how much Rewind relies, from the get-go, on home movie footage of the clanwhich would soon come to include a daughter, Bekah, whom Sasha fiercely lovedJacquis early comment implies a forthcoming focus on the harmful presence of technology in modern American households. Taking a deep breath before putting fingers to keyboard to write this article, pondering. In those days, Neulinger had to travel to physicians offices, detective offices, Child Protective Services and various other government buildings, telling his story over and over, dozens of times. If nothing else, I felt the film might help someone else. I love the outdoors, nature and hiking. What I am hoping to do is really talk about how we can help children so they don't grow up angry and disconnected, and subconsciously willing to repeat the cycle," said Sasha. Not everyone responds to trauma in the same way. Director: Sasha Joseph Neulinger I cant imagine a world in which my family was part of the construction of the film. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. 'Rewind': Jewish Filmmaker Confronts His Traumatic Childhood He realized that this tug-of-war that was happening inside of him was an indication of lingering, unhealed wounds and unanswered questions from his childhood. I felt like I couldnt escape my trauma. For more visit, Giving Hope: The Childrens Advocacy Center . I was 8 years old at the time of disclosure, Neulinger said. I walked away from the last three trials with my uncle Howard. REWIND had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Where is Sasha Neulinger now? Far more than a mere recitation of personal anguish and abuse, Rewind is a non-fiction reflection of Neulingers processboth then, and again nowof emotionally and psychologically reckoning with memories and experiences hed locked away, far away from prying eyes. In watching the 200 hours of home videos: As Sasha watched himself as a child, in proximity to his abusers, he saw his own innocence and helplessness with newfound clarity. He allowed me to take ownership of the story. His mom asked his sister to draw pictures. As Neulinger follows chains of trauma and abuse through his family tree, its easy to digest how innocent people paid the price. Most victims know their assaulter and most sexual perpetrators themselves were molested as children. Sasha's Story - Leaving Ground Zero Header, Sasha's Story - Revisiting the Past Header, Sasha's Story - A New Path Forward Header. Relatives and other interested parties (detectives, doctors, attorneys, etc.) In many facets of his life, Sasha was thriving. Your Sheep. An autobiographical film years in the making, Rewind premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival where it received a special jury mention. He now lives in Montana, where he and his wife, Lauren, and their puppy are riding out the coronavirus pandemic in relative isolation. Notable people and events in the Jewish LA community. Sasha Neulinger's documentary is as affecting as they come, both for its portrait of unthinkable horrors perpetrated against the weak and defenseless, and for its optimism that healinghowever. Shooting injures 3 people in South Philadelphia. Sasha Joseph Neulinger in 2014. Each step is something to build on. Sasha Joseph Neulinger Is a Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse: Why Isn't If my religious leaders, those who connect me to God, are sinister or even evil, what does that say about my faith? A poem for Parsha Parsha Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, Spielberg Says Antisemitism Is No Longer Lurking, But Standing Proud Like 1930s Germany, Young Actress Juju Brener on Her Hocus Pocus 2 Role, Behind the Scenes of Jeopardy! with Mayim Bialik, Unpacking the Crisis in Israel and BrainstormingSolutions. This isnt a film worried about manipulating feeling in a specific manner, its concern is bringing that sensation back to those who have forgotten how to feel it. Film-maker Sasha Joseph Neulinger rolls back the clock and reveals the truth of what happened to him. Thank you! For the first time in more than fourteen years, he could experience life without abuse being the primary focus of his existence. Play trailer 2:17. Ex: myspace.com/. Neulinger has become an inspirational motivator who inspired the creation of a child advocacy center, Mission Kids. This was not a civil case. Unflinching and uncompromising, Rewind is a documentary that isn't afraid to dive deep into the issues of abuse and trauma that it explores across its relatively brief 80 minute runtime as documentarian and main subject Sasha Neulinger delves into his own childhood and his families horrific experiences that spanned generations. / Sasha Joseph Neulinger Is a Survivor of . I got through six of them and discovered that with each question I answered, I had three more questions, and thats why I decided to interview my mom, dad, sister and others who were part of my life at the time, he said. 2017 Children's Advocacy Center. All Rights Reserved. A Man Who Was Sexually Abused By His Uncles As A Child Is Making A Documentary That Will Change Lives! Seeking justice in the courts required an endless series of painful interviews and years of legal procedure. I was you know, hiking, fishing, and doing all the things that I loved. Get to know Maria Morales: CAC Family Advocate, A Conversation with Ashleigh Shea: Forensic Interviewing at the CAC, Giving Hope: The Childrens Advocacy Center. sasha neulinger uncle howard - pathome-recruit.jp And when I was able to act, I was able to express my emotions, but do it in an alternative universe. To his surprise, his father had three huge boxes and over 200 hours of home video, said Neulinger, whose name change is dealt with in Rewind. In this present moment of intense national (and global) stress, theres nothing quite as cathartic as a simultaneously wrenching and heartening cry. by signing up for the Voice For The Kids newsletter. The Montco-raised child actor and director was sexually abused as a child by two uncles and a cousin. Neulinger, now 29, said he was sexually abused by two uncles and a cousin as a child growing up in Pennsylvania. When I was a kid going through all this, a lot of my time was spent just trying to survive to the next day. 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But in its intimate depiction of perseverance and fearlessness, it conveys an unforgettable sense of all thats stolen when children are abusedas well as the heroic bravery, compassion and togetherness required to combat such cruelty. Rewind to Fast-Forward | News | bozemandailychronicle.com This film breaks the silence surrounding child sexual abuse and encourages abuse victims to reach out for help. But like most young victims, he told no one. Sasha Joseph Neulinger. At age 4, he said his uncle sexually abused him for the first time. But the most tragic thing is that all this sexual trauma goes much deeper than what happened to Sasha. In turn, they told his father, who revealed that he, too, had been sexually abused by both his brothers. Camp Hell as Jimmy; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Charlie Monaghan (1 episode, 2005) When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (2003) as Zachary Beaver; After a plea bargain, Howard was sentenced to 12 years probation, when Neulinger was 16. Re-watching his childhood provided Sasha some validation, a reminder that he had nothing to do with what his abusers chose to do to himbut that he had everything to do with the strength and resilience it required to hold his abusers accountable. Sasha Joseph Neulinger (born 1989) is an American actor and director born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My little sister didnt deserve to be hurt like that. He will be making his directorial debut at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival with his film, "Rewind." Sasha's interest in film started in early childhood. That was a big hurdle. This is not a Jewish, Christian, black, white, gay, straight issue. I love being able to craft an entire story and being able to share that as opposed to just sharing the emotions of a character. Henrys older brothers one of whom, Howard Nevison would go on to become a renowned opera singer and well-respected cantor at a high-profile synagogue became abusers; and abuse breeds more abuse. 'Rewind': Sasha Joseph Neulinger's Wrenching Survival Story Is An However, the 30-year-old also knew confronting his demons was a necessary step toward healing. Directors of photography: Jeff Dougherty, Rick Smith He jumped out of a moving car in an attempt to kill himself. Working closely with other organizations, he aims to correct many of the issues inherent in abuse investigations. There is inspiration, there is hope and the message is that if we are able to look at our wounds and embrace your fears, to accept and examine our traumatic experiences, then we can truly heal them and move forward in life, he said, and this idea that its never too late to start the journey of healing. Contact: mstern@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740. Neither Neulinger nor his family saw these as roadblocks, although his sister (admittedly for different reasons) couldnt understand why he needed to make the film and relive the atrocities, especially after having been through so much already. Production companies: Step 1 Films, Grizzly Creek Films Both with his public speaking engagements and REWIND, Sasha is doing everything he can to make an impact in the fight against child abuse. Child sexual abuse is one of the greatest social epidemics of our time, according to Neulinger, who last week debuted an autobiographical documentary film at the Tribeca Film Festival. I would watch moments from my childhood beautiful moments, gorgeous, joyful moments that I had completely forgotten about. Sexual abuse doesnt discriminate. Sasha Joseph Neulinger, She felt things were going well for me. Its a journey.. From the get-go, Sasha Joseph Neulinger knew he'd face turbulent waters in creating "Rewind" (May 11 on PBS). But I did choose how I responded to it: how it would contribute to the shaping of who I am today. The investigation and three trials that ensued dragged on for eight years (1998-2006) and generated a lot of media coverage. Because they had been overshadowed by the trauma. One day, Sasha began grabbing at Bekah, his little sisters chest in the back of the car, something he saw as nothing more than a harmless titty twister. His mother, Jacqui asked why he was acting so aggressively. Critics Choice and Emmy Nominated (Outstanding Social Issue Documentary, Outstanding Direction, and Outstanding Editing), and now streaming on multiple platforms including Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play, REWIND continues the fight against child abuse every day. With Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Howard Nevison. I was surviving, Neulinger recalled. I was constantly needing to prepare for different court dates. He was a successful actor, but nursed many suicidal thoughts and often swerved into erratic behavior. In a home video provided by his father, a brief moment from hours of taped memories, Sasha says he remembers feeling trapped. YOUR RATING. You have entered an incorrect email address! That revelation, unsurprisingly, rocked the family, and it lands with seismic force here as well. Editor: Avela Grenier It was about justice.. After 13 years of fighting to get my life back, the war was finally over, he said. Sasha's Story Voice For The Kids Made up of home video footage that reveals a long-kept secret, Sasha Joseph Neulingers Rewind is a brave and wrenching look at his childhood and his journey to reconcile his past. My sense of self-worth, my identity, my ability to see beauty in the world was deteriorating rapidly. Actor: Shallow Hal. Sasha Neulinger shared his story of overcoming child sexual assault, and the importance of having organizations which help victims, like CASA and CAPstone, at the 14th annual Light of Hope event . Following is the full transcript of filmmaker Sasha Joseph Neulinger's TEDx Talk titled: Trauma is Irreversible. 'Rewind' Film Review: Family Tale of Sexual Abuse Is - TheWrap Following the director, who was repeatedly sexually abused by his fathers side of the family as a child, Neulinger revisits his dad Henrys home film canisters, reopening old wounds. Its not that I didnt get love, its that I didnt feel lovable, Sasha concedes. Sexual abuse doesnt discriminate. The nature of the saga changes when we understand that this child was up against a man, Howard Nevison, whose prominent job as cantor for Manhattans Congregation Emanu-El came with powerful friends like Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who, according to the film, eased Nevison through the system when he was arrested. It was a triumphant moment.. Sasha Joseph Neulinger - Filmmaker Each one of us was born into this world with a clean slate. Henry grew up with a mother who was gregarious in public and emotionally cold and remote in private, a father who accepted his wifes vitriol on a daily basis, and two older brothers. Public Speaker and Film Director of REWIND. Speaking to the Journal by phone from his home in southwest Montana (he doesnt want to specify the city), Neulinger stressed, This is not a Jewish, Christian, black, white, gay, straight issue. She recalled watching Neulingers case unfold on the news, not being able to believe it. Lawrence Nevison, 55, who is Howard Nevison's brother and also an uncle of the boy, and Lawrence Nevison's son,. The comedy was a coping mechanism, as Henry now explains: His own childhood was an emotional minefield that can barely be sketched out here. Sasha's mom watched her son become severely depressed and suicidal. Neulinger, now 27, was abused for years as a young boy by three members of his family. But I still felt trapped in a secret. Absolutely, and honestly, acting was so important for me. My husband disappeared into this lens.. Sashas story has helped other survivors immensely, and ideally, these aspects would have been more intricately threaded into the documentary rather than but punctuated its ending. Interspersed throughout, Neulinger interviews his mother, father, sister and psychiatrist among others recalling their growing realizations that something rotten was transpiring in their own home and the culprits were close family members. Yet the more Neulinger crawls back into his thorny past, the more it becomes apparent that his victimizationas well as Bekahswas not an isolated incident. I had a really awesome job with a company that was working on National Geographic television. Sasha is among the male survivors. I play hockey here in Montana. Independent Lens: Rewind. Love your neighbors and watch your beard. With one foot in front of the other, and with each step taken, more of the path is revealed. Along with bringing courage and solace to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused, Neulinger hopes the film speaks to religious institutions and makes them own up to their culpability if they remain silent, refusing even to acknowledge the possibility of evildoing within their own ranks. READ MORE: Tribeca Film Festival: 15 Must-See Movies. Composer: T. Griffin, Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. His mother asked him what had happened. My kids that we plan to have one day are going to be die-hard Flyers fans. The film was Sashas feature-length directorial debut. We take every word our religious leaders say as the truth and in so doing, surrender our cognizant reasoning. So theres like one grocery store and not a lot of people.. And as the film progresses, the more we similarly notice the carefully concealed agony being endured, and villainy being perpetrated, off-screenspied in a childs sorrowful eyes, inappropriately sexualized dance, and frantic outburst, or in a grown mans hair-ruffling gesture or toothy grin. Producers: Robert Schneeweis, Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Avela Grenier, Shasta Grenier Winston Your Neighbors. The film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Mention Award, and it won Best Documentary earlier this year at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Like many similar advocacy centers across the country, including the one in Holland, its a child-friendly space where kids can share their stories, undergo forensic medical exams, experience play, art and psycho-therapy, all under one roof. 24-year-old Sasha Joseph Neulinger was sexually abused by two uncles and a cousin as a child. I was doing well in school, had a good internship and was in a place I loved: Montana. Montana was also as far away from Ground Zero as I could get. After all, a celebration was the perfect time to pull out his video camera. He doesnt shy away from asking his parents the hard questions he needs them to answer. "It's not that I didn't get love, it's that I didn't feel lovable," Sasha concedes. 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Rewind To Fast-Forward - Bozeman Magazine By what name was Rewind (2019) officially released in India in English? Interview: Sasha Joseph Neulinger on How "Rewind" Helped His Family But there was still more work to be done. I want people to recognize that child abuse does exist, she said, that they should never question reporting what might be child abuse because theyre concerned about the adult and what could happen to that adult if a report is false. After scoring very high marks on his standardized tests after Kindergarten, Sasha began displaying frequent withdrawal episodes. Well send you updates moving forward, but you can unsubscribe at any time. Is Director Ari Aster a Madman or a Genius? Jacqui and Henrys son, Sasha was always an extremely engaging child. Inspiring! A Man Who Was Sexually Abused By His Uncles As A Child Is What incentive would I have had to go public in order to endlessly defend myself? 'I Trusted Them': The Pain of Sexual Abuse But the Philadelphia Flyers are with me every single day of my life in Montana. Hes aware that for many Jews, the whole event the trial and now, the film presents yet another conundrum: the deeply rooted concern that the public airing of such episodes confirms anti-Semitic tropes and, indeed, encourages anti-Semitic sentiment. See An INCREDIBLE Snippet HERE! In HBO's "The Tale," Narberth's Jennifer Fox turns to fiction to tell her own true, tough story, California residents do not sell my data request. Sasha Joseph Neulinger - IMDb A very candid. Leacock-Pennebaker. Henrys home movies show a kindergarten-age Sasha as playful and family-oriented; a year later, the boy has put on substantial weight, frowns constantly and erupts in hard-to-process dark emotions. New Book Explores Current Trends, OKelley Legends: 2e Behind the Scenes Is a Gift, Israeli Whisky Is Now the Best Single Malt Whisky in the World, SWU Marks Yom Hashoah, OU Announces New Board, Greenblatt Joins JCPA, A Bisl Torah The Power of Being Yourself, Your Beard. Stewart asked for a plea deal and served 11 months in prison. It also speaks to the silence, often self-imposed by victims themselves, that allows such heinousness to continueat least, that is, until someone stands up and says enough. Sasha Joseph Neulinger is the co-founder and head of production at Step 1 Films where he produces content for commercial clients nationally. Sifting through 700 hours of film footage, including 200 hours of home video, Sasha Neulinger has been rewatching his childhood for the last four years to create a documentary,Rewind to Fast-Forward. bekah neulinger - Simplified Get Jewish Exponent's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories, Yemin Orde Alumna Talks Programs Success, ADLs Greenblatt Embraces Controversy, Bemoans Rancor in Community, Documentarian Reunited Holocaust Survivors after 80 Years, Ken Burns Next Documentary About US Response to the Holocaust, Diplomat Who Saved Jews During WWII Honored. Shining a brighter light on this side of things would only have strengthened the movies impact. When he was 8 years old, he disclosed what was happening to his psychiatrist, with his mother present. At that moment, the world became a dark place and I felt dirty.. It was something that became intrusive to me, because it was constant and it felt to me like I lost my husband. And so I was able to reclaim these beautiful memories that had been lost, which was extremely healing and cathartic. The filmmaker behind the PBS film "Rewind" speaks about his personal journey to expose and understand his childhood, where he was the survivor of sexual abus.
sasha neulinger uncle howard