The largest population of Holocaust survivors, per capita, outside Israel lives in Melbourne Australia. These survivors are facing death and terror for the second time.

Dementia, memory loss and physical immobility contribute to a splintering of identity. Removed from their homes, families and possessions past horrors come flooding back.

Exploring three levels of care from the most independent to the most dependent at Melbourne’s biggest Jewish aged care facility, Long Shadows examines the impact of institutionalisation for three survivors and their spouses.

Harold, guides us flamboyantly through this teeming “tower of Babel” that houses up to 600 residents, and through his personal tale of tragedy and love. Evelyne, a child survivor aged 60 suffering bi-polar disorder navigates institutionalisation prematurely when an accident renders her dependent.

And life inside the Dementia Unit for Alzheimer’s sufferer Dora shows how massive sufferers of trauma effects sufferers of dementia and the people who love and care for them. All three stories are peppered with humour, delivered with honesty and underscore the importance of love for survival.