The Children of San Simon

created by: Shahar Galnoor & Sima Shimony

Sima Shimony, age 69, embarks on a mission to find her friends and staff from the “ALYN” Institute for Children with Disabilities, that was situated in the secluded San-Simon monastery in Jerusalem, in the 1960’s. Armed with a small camcorder attached to her wheelchair she sets on a journey together with her friend Pini Newirth to unfold and reclaim the story of the children on the Polio epidemic. Growing up together as equals, suffering excruciating medical procedures with no family at their side, forged a group of remarkable people with disabilities who eventually launched the Disability-Rights movement in Israel. An uproarious and charming depiction of seniors with disabilities navigating their golden years with candid humor and zest.

impact producer: Yael Yakirevich