Ward Melville Student Screens Film Destined to Become 'A Legacy'

When Jordan Pollack, a sophomore at Ward Melville, sat down to interview his great grandmother for a school assignment, he never expected to discover a family legacy that could touch the lives of others. 

Pollack publicly premiered "Fruit from the Orchard: my great grandmother's story," a 53-minute documentary featuring his 'Nonnie' Sara Pollack at the Bates House at the Frank Melville Park on Thursday night. 

"It is something that means a lot to my family and hopefully I made it interesting enough for other people to see it as well," Jordan said. 

The Ward Melville sophomore started with an assignment for filmmaking class from teacher Stefanie DiLorenzo: to make a 3 to 6 minute documentary on a subject they were interested in. Jordan said it was his mother who first suggested he speak to his 94-year-old great grandmother. 

"I just set up a camera and started to talk to her. She had so much to stay and so much of her life is incredible that I just had to document it," Jordan said. 

Sara Pollak, a resident of the Atria Senior Living facility in Stony Brook, shares her family history as Sephardic Jews starting with her immigrant parents. In soft-spoken words, she describes living in New York City's tenements during The Great Depression and industrialization during World War II. 

"We found a box of information that had pictures from years ago, back when she was 20 - 30 years old, and younger than that. We found letters written between her and her boyfriend - who became her husband," Jordan said. 

These black-and-white pictures and family documents provide a backdrop for Sara Pollack to share her life story and trace her family's growth over time - from only child to having 12 great grandchildren. 

Laughter rippled across the audience several times through the film, as Sara shares personal memories with amusing self reflections - for example, that she hated her father's own handmade candied apples. 

Sara Pollack shares with her audience an important message: that she would not go back in time to change a single thing - the hardships or her decisions - as it led her to the family she has today. 

It's a message that struck home and left many audience members teary eyed on Thursday night. 

"Jordan is very, very talented," DiLorenzo said. "It has become more than the assignment. It has become a legacy for his family."