In 1940, a French Jewish girl's dream of becoming a ballerina is cut short by World War II. She vows that if she has daughters, they will become dancers. Nearly 80 years later, she and her two daughters confront the impact of that pledge. Petit Rat is a portrait of three women, bonded by the intergenerational trauma of war and uplifted by the resilience of familial love.
Vera Wagman has directed short films including Interlude (Hypnotic Films, Sundance Channel), High Noon (PBS’ “Are We On”) and Jeopardy, a documentary short about an at-risk youth program in Los Angeles where the students train as boxers and dancers. Vera started her career as a dancer with company credits including David Storey/NY and Pennsylvania Dance Theatre where she worked with such innovative choreographers as Ohad Naharin, Kathryn Posin and Nina Weiner. She has produced arts events for Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division and choreographed MARCH, an original play produced by the LGBT Center and Playwright's Arena in Los Angeles. PETIT RAT, her documentary about her family can currently be seen on PBS.
