Set in the heart of Whitefish, Montana, a seemingly idyllic town, the antisemitic attacks against our film protagonist Tanya Gersh started soon after Donald Trump won the presidential election. As the storm of online harassment intensifies, the Whitefish community is forced to confront the alarming rise of far-right extremism. In response to the threat, Tanya takes a stand, finding solidarity within her community as she fights back against hate, fear, and prejudice with a lawsuit against her pepetrators.
As Tanya journeys to understand what happened to her, she finds in the story of Holocaust survivor Stephen Jacobs uncanny parallels between the rise of white nationalism in the United States and the rise of fascism in Germany. Donald Trump’s promise to “Make America Great Again” is a thinly-veiled battle cry for a return to the days when white supremacy existed blatantly. Directed by Eunice Lau and produced by Brooke Swaney and Zachary Kerschberg over three years, TROLL STORM chronicles the harrowing journey of a woman who transforms from a victim of cyber-hate into a courageous advocate for justice and free speech. The documentary captures the spirit of resilience, the power of community, and the pursuit of justice in the face of adversity. And by telling her story, Tanya renders visible the architecture of oppression that holds us down. More than ever, this film captures the zeitgeist of our present turmoil.
Winner of the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Documentary Directing at the 2024 Woodstock Film Festival for her latest film TROLL STORM, Eunice is a former journalist whose works have appeared on Discovery Channel and Al Jazeera. She is supported by eminent arts organizations such as Film Independent, Jerome Foundation, Tribeca Film Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures and is featured in publications The New York Times, Variety, and Filmmaker Magazine. As a descendant of immigrants displaced by conflict, Eunice is drawn to stories about the journey of migrants and it is reflected in her body of work. Her debut documentary ACCEPT THE CALL set in Minnesota’s Somali community explores the impact of injustice and intergenerational trauma. It aired on PBS Independent Lens after screening at acclaimed film festivals. Her second documentary film A-TOWN BOYZ set in the Asian American community in Atlanta, explores identity, belonging and migration. It is streaming on Amazon after premiering at the 2023 New York Asian Film Festival. She is currently working on two TV series, including a comedy drama inspired by A-TOWN BOYZ is which is selected for the Film Independent Episodic Lab. A MFA film graduate of New York University, she lives in New York City.
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2024
Woodstock Film Festival 2024
Woodstock Film Festival 2024 - NYWIFT award for Excellence in Documentary Directing
"“Jury Statement: We appreciate Eunice Lau’s journalistic approach to social justice in choosing her subject in Troll Storm. Shining a light, during these unprecedented political times, on a Jewish woman’s personal battle against antisemitism shows us just"
Deadline
"“Troll Storm dives deep into this harrowing story and puts the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. into historical context.”"
Missoulian
"“An award-nominated documentary about a Whitefish resident who, with support from the community, fought back against hatred.”"
Whitefish Pilot
Producer - Brooke Swaney
Producer - Zachary Kerschberg
Film Editor - Yasu Inoue
Cinematographer - Hiroo Takaoka
Supervising Sound & Re-recording Mixer - Matt Rocker
