OLD HEART
A new movie adapted from Peter Ferry’s acclaimed novel — out now!
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“A Stunning Story… Compelling, Entertaining”
Rick Kogan Chicago Tribune
Now on national release Old Heart honors our veterans during the 80th anniversary celebration of World War 2 European Liberation. Watch the latest the trailer here.
A complete list of screenings is here.
Cast members and crew will be at upcoming events include these Michigan screenings: May 31 (1 p.m.) at the Michigan Theater in South Haven, June 1 at Mona Shores High School (3 p.m.) June 5-11 daily at CInema Carousel in Norton Shores at 7:05 p.m., June 8 (2 p.m.) at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home, June 13 at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, June 25 (6:30 p.m.) and 26 (3 p.m.) at Hope College in Holland, June 29 at the Dogwood Center in Fremont. The film is also playing in September at the Capri Drive-in Coldwater.
In addition the film plays June 4 at (7:30 p.m.) at Chicago's Chopin Theater, June 17 (7 p.m.) at the Hillside Club in Berkeley, California, June 22 (2 p.m.) at the Marina Del Rey FIlm Festival in Culver City, California at the Culver Theater and July 20 at the Kan Kan Indy (5 p.m.) in Indianapolis. The film also plays in the Netherlands this September in Veldhoven, Leiden and BiesboschEiland Museum. Many more dates are in the works.
Lead actor Edward Gaines talks about Old Heart talks about his own story behind the film here. Co-Lead Zaneta Adams, formerly director of the Michigan Department of Veterans Affairs who also worked at the VA in Washington during the Biden Administration tells more about the story behind the film here.
Adapted from Peter Ferry’s award winning novel, Old Heart tells the story of Tom Johnson, an American soldier who is part of the Allied liberation of the Southern Netherlands in the fall of 1944. He works with Jewish translator, Sarah van Praag, to smuggle food and supplies to starving residents of northern cities trapped behind Nazi lines. They also fall in love.
Sixty years later, in the summer of 2005, Tom foils his family’s plan to move him to an assisted living facility by taking a flight to the Netherlands. He is determined to find Sarah again, the love of his life.
Old Heart will screen at theaters, museums, festivals, universities, performing arts centers, libraries and conference across the United States, in many Dutch cities, Belgium and Canada. See below for a complete schedule of events which will be updated in the coming months.
The Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-45, is central to this screenplay which has won eight best feature film awards at festivals in America and abroad. This movie is the Michigan production team’s fourth release, building on the successes of Waterwalk, Pilot Error and Coming Up For Air which have won a dozen best feature awards at international festivals. The Old Heart script has won seven best feature film screenplay festival honors.
For details on supporting the production please contact Producer Roger Rapoport rogerdrapoport@me.com, call (231) 720-0930 or visit https://heartland-iff.org/how-to-donate
Old Heart novelist Peter Ferry
Hear Peter Ferry’s Interview on Old Heart with WGN’s Rick Kogan.
Peter Ferry’s award-winning novel Old Heart (Unbridled Books, 978-1-60953-117-1), has garnered a steadily widening readership since its first appearance in 2015. Dave Eggers called the book “astonishing.” The Chicago Tribune says the novel “will stay with you for keeps.” And Publishers Weekly asserts the novel is “life-affirming.”
Peter Ferry died in Indianapolis in September 2024 just days after Old Heart production began close to his beloved family home in South Haven, Michigan. Here is a tribute to Peter from the Chicago Tribune’s Rick Kogan.
Why I Wrote Old Heart by Peter Ferry appeared in Nu? Detroit.
The Play
“Thoroughly enjoyed the play, Melanie Lamrock ws outstanding.”
—Peter Bhatia, Editor-in-chief, Detroit Free Press.
Old Heart, was staged at Detroit’s Redford Theater in May 2022 where it was directed by Karl King. Kirk Wahamaki and LeslyeWitt directed the play at Muskegon Community College’s Overbrook Theater in May 2023. Adapted from Peter Ferry’s award-winning novel, Old Heart is an inspiring mixed race love story that illuminates the courage of two young people fighting to save lives in a divided country at the war’s end.”
The Novel
Peter Ferry’s award-winning novel Old Heart (Unbridled Books, 978-1-60953-117-1), has garnered a steadily widening readership since its first appearance in 2015. Dave Eggers called the book “astonishing.” The Chicago Tribune says the novel “will stay with you for keeps.” And Publishers Weekly asserts the novel is “life-affirming.”
The story
Old Heart tells the story of African American GI Tom Johnson who joins forces with 24-year-old Sarah van Praag and the Dutch resistance to smuggle food and supplies from the liberated south across Nazi lines to starving cities in the northern Netherlands. Their brief love affair collapses at the war’s end, and sixty years later Johnson, about to be sent off to assisted living by his family, disappears on a flight to Amsterdam. While his children desperately try to locate him, Johnson is determined to track down Sarah.