Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Laemmle Royal, Los Angeles
Based on a true story, THE OPTIMIST follows Holocaust survivor Herbert Heller and the unlikely friendship that transforms two lives. At 15, Herbert escaped the Auschwitz-Birkenau death march, carrying the weight of silence for six decades. When he finally breaks that silence, he forms a life-saving bond with Abby, a troubled teenager confronting her own pain. Together, they discover hope, healing, and the transformative power of being truly seen. Starring Stephen Lang as Herbert, Elsie Fisher as Abby, and Luke David Blumm as young Herbert, THE OPTIMIST is a profoundly moving film about resilience across generations and the courage it takes to tell the truth.