24 April 2014 Published in Events

Documentary Film: In Search of the Last Jew in My Family

Documentary Film: In Search of the Last Jew in My Family
Type: Documentary film
Date: May 12th and 13th, 2014
Time: 8 p.m.
Venue: Subiaco Cinema, Freudenstadt

The documentary film ‘In Search of the Last Jew in My Family’ records a family’s efforts to follow the trail of its Jewish grandfather, murdered in 1942. The film-makers, Peter Haas and Silvia Holzinger, will be present on both evenings.
This event is jointly presented by the Association of Patrons and Friends of the Former Rexingen Synagogue, the County Adult Education Centre and the Catholic Adult Education Programme, Freudenstadt.

 Peter Haas on his film: “As a child, I learned that my grandfather was murdered in Buchenwald in 1942. I didn’t hear it from my father who mostly remained silent and can hardly remember anything even to this day”.
In my family there were no family celebrations, no Golden Wedding, no invitation to an eightieth birthday. I couldn’t get my Jewish grandfather out of my mind and so I set out in search of the last Jew in my family. With the help of archives, my partner and I reconstructed his life prior to 1933. His life, more than his death, intrigued us.
I wanted my cousins to get to know this grandfather under a different aspect and I tried to bring him back into our family. For this reason I sought out the members of my generation ­- we are all between 40 and 50 – and asked them to face the camera: ten grandchildren all living in different places. The resulting film documents seemingly irreconcilable points of view, an indication of the horror still affecting us today.
It doesn’t narrate a linear story. It portrays its protagonists largely without comment, allowing them space for their resistance, contradictions, ideas and input.

Guests: Film-makers Peter Haas and Silvia Holzinger
Admission: Euro 8,00
Address: Kurhaus, Promenadenplatz 1, Freudenstadt