The Passenger / Pasażerka – SECTION A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
dir. ANDRZEJ MUNK, WITOLD LESIEWICZ, Poland, 1963, 62 min
"SECTION A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME" - jewish existence during the Cold War: a German-Polish journey through time and a juxtaposition of cinematic histories on the occasion of DEFA’s 75th anniversary.
The relationship of the GDR and the People's Republic of Poland towards Judaism was, in light of the Nazi occupation, Shoah and the Cold War, characterised in several respects by reinterpretations of history. Accordingly, the few films that were made on the subject proceeded cautiously. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the DEFA film studios we embark on a cinematic journey through time, taking us from the first reflections on the Shoah shortly after the end of the war to feature films from the 1980s.
THE PASSENGER
An eerie reunion: On an ocean liner headed across the Atlantic Liza encounters concentration camp survivor Marta. Liza, giving the impression of a carefree bonne vivante, had hitherto managed to disguise her past role as a concentration camp guard. Now, however, the memories return in this unorthodox psychodrama about the burden of suppression.
"SECTION A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME" is co-created with Jewish Film Berlin & Brandenburg (JFBB). The program is curated by Lihi Nagler (WJFF Programming Director) and Bernd Buder (JFBB Program Director). The film screenings will be accompanied by discussions with contemporary witnesses and experts. The program came about with support from the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation in Berlin.
More information: https://wjff.pl/en/jfbb-berlin-brandenburg/