Stephen Lang, Elsie Fisher Star in True WWII Drama The Optimist

Collider is bringing an exclusive first look at the trailer for The Optimist, a new film starring Stephen Lang and Elsie Fisher that tells the shockingly true story of Holocaust survivor Herbert Heller, who kept his escape from Auschwitz a secret for sixty years. "The film follows Herbert (Lang), now a beloved toy store owner in Northern California, who has long concealed his wartime memories from even his own family.

As he befriends a troubled teenager (Fisher), their unexpected bond inspires him to finally break his silence, proving that the human spirit has a profound capacity for healing and renewal." The trailer shows Lang and Fisher working on a film about his life, with flashbacks to Heller's time during World War II at concentration camps, including when he was separated from his father.

Producer Jeanine Thomas promised Heller she would share his story with the world. The Optimist is donating part of their profit to Kavod, "a Memphis-based organization founded in 2015 to help Holocaust survivors in the U.S. live the remainder of their lives with the comfort and dignity they deserve.

Key Topics

Culture, Stephen Lang, Elsie Fisher, Herbert Heller, The Optimist, Auschwitz