My Name Is Sara: Zuzanna Surowy’s Stunning Debut in Steven Oritt’s Tense Survival Drama – A Timeless Tale of Courage That Critics Call “Heart-Rending and Brave”

Netflix has quietly unveiled a gem of historical resilience that’s capturing hearts and sparking vital conversations: My Name Is Sara, the 2022 biographical drama directed by Steven Oritt that dramatizes the true story of Sara Goralnik, a 13-year-old Polish-Jewish girl who survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight. At just 13, Sara faces the impossible—learning to live without her family and without her name—every step a quiet rebellion against fear itself. Critics hail it as “heart-rending. Brave. Timeless,” a film that doesn’t just recount history but immerses you in its terror and triumph. Courage isn’t loud. It’s living when the world tells you not to. Now streaming, this poignant tale won’t let you go.

Based on the real-life experiences of Sara Goralnik (who passed in 2018), the film opens in 1942 as Nazi forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Korets, Ukraine (then part of Poland). Sara (Zuzanna Surowy, in her breathtaking screen debut) and her brother Moishe (Konrad Cichon) flee into the woods, their parents and younger siblings left behind in a mass grave. Separated from Moishe amid the chaos, Sara stumbles into the Ukrainian countryside, where she assumes the identity of her Christian classmate, Manya Romanchuk. Desperate and alone, she finds reluctant shelter with farmer Pavlo (Eryk Lubos) and his young wife Nadya (Michalina Olszanska), posing as a runaway orphan escaping a cruel stepmother.

What follows is a masterclass in sustained tension, as Sara navigates two years of constant peril. She must master Christian prayers to avoid suspicion, deflect Pavlo’s unsettling advances, and keep Nadya’s marital secrets—all while the specter of Nazi roundups and Soviet partisan raids looms. The film, written by David Himmelstein and produced by Justyna Pawlak, excels in its intimate portrayal of survival’s psychological toll. Shot entirely in northeastern Poland’s rural landscapes, the cinematography by Magdalena Lewandowska captures the beauty of the Ukrainian fields as both sanctuary and snare, with natural light casting long shadows that mirror Sara’s inner turmoil.

Surowy’s performance is nothing short of revelatory. At 14 during filming, the Silesian high schooler brings a raw, instinctive depth to Sara—eyes wide with perpetual vigilance, small gestures betraying terror beneath forced smiles. “Sara’s story is about adaptation, not heroism,” Oritt told Roger Ebert. “Zuzanna captured that fragility perfectly.” Lubos’ Pavlo is a brutish everyman, his kindness laced with menace, while Olszanska’s Nadya simmers with quiet resentment, her dagger stares a constant threat. Flashbacks to Sara’s ghetto life—loving family meals shattered by Gestapo knocks—add layers of loss, making her isolation all the more devastating.

Critics have been unanimous in praise. Roger Ebert awarded three stars: “A suspenseful study of a teenage girl’s ability to adapt herself to her surroundings in order to stay alive.” The New York Times called it “intermittently powerful if somewhat stiff-jointed,” lauding its “sharp illustration of how Sara is never totally safe.” Rotten Tomatoes sits at 100% from critics, with audiences at 92%, fans raving: “Absorbing, realistically touching story of how a Jewish girl faced daily fear with amazing pluck.” The Los Angeles Times noted its “nail-biting scenes” and “stirring” survival instincts.

Oritt, whose documentaries American Native and Accidental Climber showcase his knack for human resilience, consulted extensively with Sara’s son Mickey Shapiro, an executive producer. “This isn’t about glorifying suffering—it’s Sara’s voice,” he said. The film subtly weaves in the plight of Ukrainian farmers, brutalized by Nazis and Soviets alike, humanizing the “other” side without excusing complicity.

Now on Netflix after a limited U.S. release in 2022, My Name Is Sara has surged to No. 15 globally, with 12 million hours viewed in its first week. It’s timely amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, echoing Sara’s borderland horrors. As one viewer posted: “Sara’s rebellion was silent—but it roared through me.”

This is more than a film—it’s a testament to quiet courage. Stream My Name Is Sara on Netflix. In Sara’s words, through survival: hope endures.