Peter Vanlaw had what many in Hollywood would consider an unremarkable upbringing. Raised in LA’s San Fernando Valley, Peter grew up to enjoy a successful career in television commercial production and documentary filmmaking. An only child of German immigrants, raised in a gentile household where religion was pretty much a non-issue, Peter had no idea of the family secrets he would discover decades later.

Following his heart attack at age fifty, Vanlaw’s mother, who was affected by mental issues as far back as he could remember, visited him in the hospital. During what can only be described as a breakdown, she exclaimed repeatedly, “It’s all my fault!” The outburst was so sudden and disturbing that Vanlaw didn’t broach the subject with his mother for two years. It was then he began to uncover the long-held secret to his own identity…his family is Jewish.

Upon the death of his parents, Peter uncovered hundreds of family photos and reels of 16mm film. This wealth of material led him to family stories of pathos and danger dating back to the early 1900s. Through this discovery Peter learned of close relatives he never knew, of the ravages of his mother’s mental illness, of a grandparent’s suicide, of escape from the Nazis following Kristallnacht, and of the lasting damage caused by the Holocaust. It was the stuff Hollywood movies are made of, only this story was his story, his heritage, his identity – which, but for the discovery of these family treasures, might never have been known.

Peter’s obsession with his new-found identity resulted in a compelling documentary film, “For the Life of Me,” which is nearing completion. His story takes us from California to pre-war Germany, Europe, Asia and beyond. Preview audiences have been riveted.

But Pete Vanlaw is facing a dilemma. “We need to finish the film,” he said. “We need to raise funds primarily for licenses for stock footage, historical photos and musical clearances. Then we will have a film that will provide historical documentation, help educate a generation and potentially change countless lives.”

Vanlaw and partner Bob Sallin (producer, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), have signed up with crowdfunding site Indiegogo in hopes of raising the funds to finish the film so that it may be presented to a much broader audience, whether it be in schools, universities, religious institutions or on TV.

For film clip and donation info, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/for-the-life-of-me–2#/story                                                                               

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