Four Seasons Lodge

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Four Seasons Lodge

Released Nov 11, 2009

1h 39m

Documentary

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82%

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17 Reviews

82%

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50+ Ratings

Every summer, some Holocaust survivors, mostly Polish Jews, gather at the Four Seasons Lodge in the Catskill Mountains. After moving to America after the war, the survivors sought each other out to create a large family to help fill the void left by those they lost. Though many of them are well into their 90s, at the Four Seasons they play poker, cook, dance and tell jokes, creating for one another a loving experience that is the antithesis of the nightmare they survived.

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

Perhaps the most remarkable thing this unexpectedly warm and affirmative film shows us about the survivors is that, far from blocking out their past, they've managed to enjoy these unexpected years despite continually living with their personal horrors.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 15, 2009

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

The best thing about Four Seasons Lodge is its subject.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 15, 2009

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Lou Lumenick

New York Post

[Director Andrew Jacob's] pitch-perfect film provides an affectionate look at a brave, disappearing subculture.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 13, 2009

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

A film without cinematographic ambition. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 15, 2022

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Michael Atkinson

Boston Phoenix

A poignant portrait of a Jewish summer community in the Catskills (one of a few where once there'd been hundreds) peopled almost entirely by elderly concentration-camp survivors.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 15, 2009

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Louis Proyect

rec.arts.movies.reviews

Supremely moving tale about holocaust survivors as well as the decline of the Borscht Belt.

Nov 16, 2009

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Kevin P

A sweet and sincere documentary about the annual reunion of a closely knitted group of friends. Most of them are Polish American Holocaust survivors, but they're all filled with so much optimism and community in their elder years. The whole film has a kind and cozy vibe to it. It feels like you're invited to a big family party and everyone's just hanging out and catching up long after dinner's been served. Nothing too ambitious, but it's a kindhearted slice of life that will put you in a good mood.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/25

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marie l

The Four Seasons Lodge broke my heart. I wanted to hug everyone of its inhabitants and absorb their pain if i could. They appreciated their summers at the lodge and the comfort they got from each other because of their shared tragic past. They triumphed over their past and tried to enjoy "a little bit their life"! G-D bless their souls.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Oh, a marvelous little film about a group of elderly people who join together each summer at the Four Seasons Lodge in the Catskills to live in a "colony"with fellow holocaust survivors. Their bond is one of both the shared experiences of their lives as well as the the joyousness of coming together each summer to celebrate life. A moving film about surviving, love and celebration of life. With a bissel Yiddish thrown in.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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greg r

Absolutely incredible. The stories of these amazing people, told in the mountains they loved to summer in.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Absolutely heart warming movie and tear eyed movie......depicts episodes of these Holocaust survivors lives and why they came together!! Brilliant!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

A dry but real look at a colony of holocaust survivors in New York, living their everyday lives in their reflective years of retirement. The stories of pain and suffering are kept at a minimum, while the film focuses more on their present day lives and communal arrangement. Although I have a great respect for the film and the subjects, its just not that interesting of a film.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Andrew Jacobs

Director

Kim Connell

Writer

Andrew Jacobs

Writer

Kelly Sheehan

Executive Producer

Matthew Lavine

Producer

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Synopsis

Every summer, some Holocaust survivors, mostly Polish Jews, gather at the Four Seasons Lodge in the Catskill Mountains. After moving to America after the war, the survivors sought each other out to create a large family to help fill the void left by those they lost. Though many of them are well into their 90s, at the Four Seasons they play poker, cook, dance and tell jokes, creating for one another a loving experience that is the antithesis of the nightmare they survived.

Director: Andrew Jacobs
Producer: Matthew Lavine
Screenwriter: Kim Connell, Andrew Jacobs
Distributor: First Run
Production Co: Four Seasons Project, Rainlake Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.4K
Runtime: 1h 39m

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