In every pew sits a broken heart.

Been reading about the importance of log lines this morning. They are the engine that drives the motor of the screenplay and I can see this, so I have to get mine into place.

'Conflict is the basis of drama.'
What will be the emotional hook of this story?

'Tell the period. This gets an energy into the piece.
Keep the protagonist in the forefront of the log line.
External versus Internal conflict. Internal conflicts aren't cinematographicly interesting.
Slice of life scripts not usually interesting, ie., stories about everyday folk with no particular flaw or challenges. Extremes interest the viewer.'

Let the audience find their own meaning, don't explain it in the log line.'

Right. We meet Hana before the holocaust, during or after?

Some beginning log line ideas this morning have been...

Recently diagnosed with Alzheimer, Holocaust survivor artist races with time to find her abducted granddaughter,-in whose abduction she has played a part- and against all odds...... ?

I spend hours researching films about mental illness and decide Alzheimers is a theme too specialized, I have no first hand experience of this.

Parkinsons? No

Could Hana the artist be diagnosed as going blind ?
Yes. What worse fate for a talented artist than to lose her sight? She loses her granddaughter - partly due to her collusion, deeply regrets this, then finally is in grave danger of losing her sight.

In losing one faculty, often other sharpens. Granddaughter Samira is a singer. Could Hana develop her passion for music, especially singing?

Quote: I'm a successful artist yes, but I would rather have been an opera singer. Hana Rabinowitz.

The never satisfied highly talented artist who would rather have been an opera singer.

There are significant films about disability, they tend to win big prizes:

The Kings Speech
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

People relate to heroic acts against all odds. We relate to people who live out our worst fears.

Ruth Graham, daughter of Billy said:
In every pew sits a broken heart.

Hana has given up on her faith, but never the less , she will heal, in the end. There is healing and there is curing. Not sure if Hana will be cured, but she certainly will be healed. The audience can decide what they believe.

Hana's heart is broken. It was broken before she walked out of Auschwitz.

In her search for atonement re Samira, a relationship slowly develops, and through Hana's final change of heart (in funding a musical center for street kids in Paris set up my Samira), she heals. She achieves the seemingly impossible, and comes to peace with the world and herself. Hana dos not manage to heal her relationship with Shifra, but lives in hope of some small change.

Log line:

Recently diagnosed as going blind, a well known Holocaust survivor artist races with time to find her 18 year old abducted granddaughter,-in whose abduction she has played a part-when the abductor threatens to...?

No... not getting it yet...

Two more titles that sting my heart:

Forget you not.
Missing Identity.