The Story Of A Murder / Chronik Eines Mordes – SECTION A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
dir. JOACHIM HASLER, DDR, 1964, 91 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.
A STORY OF A MURDER/ CHRONIK EINES
After the end of the war Ruth, a Jewish woman, returns to her southern German homeland in a state of trauma. Nazis dispatched her parents to a concentration camp and Ruth to a brothel. The horrific memories resurface when those who were part of the deportation machinery return to positions of power. Ruth strikes back. On the day of his taking office, she shoots the mayor, himself guilty of involvement in the deportation of the Jews. A tale of an individual’s attempt to work through the past, based on a script by Angel Wagenstein.
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/