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This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley.

A 94-year-old woman, displaced in grieving the loss of her best friend and roommate,

makes an audacious choice. She begins telling her deceased friend's story of surviving the Holocaust

as if it were her own. It's deceptive and morally complicated, but for Eleanor, it's the first time in years she truly feels seen. That's the

premise of Eleanor the Great, opening tomorrow, a poignant and humorous film that moved first

time director Scarlett Johansson to tears when she initially read the script. To honor the

story's weight, she cast actual Holocaust survivors

alongside her lead. At the center is June Squibb, 94 years old and having the creative run of her

life. The Academy Award nominated actor has worked for over six decades, but it wasn't until

Nebraska in 2013 that she became a household name. Now with

Eleanor the Great, following her recent triumph in Thelma, she's starring yet again as the lead

in a story that centers on the very real experiences of someone still navigating life in their 90s.

Johansson herself knows something about breaking barriers.

The two-time Oscar nominee has navigated the industry since she was a kid.

She's built a career that spans intimate dramas like marriage story

and global blockbusters like The Avengers films.

And now she's directed a film that explores grief and

forgiveness and who has the right to tell someone's story. Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb,

welcome to fresh air. Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, June, you have this sharp wit in

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