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Jewish Film Days in Hamburg: Political films and strong themes!
From June 15 to 19, 2025, Hamburg will show the fifth Jewish Film Days with five world premieres and cultural exchange.
Jewish Film Days in Hamburg: Political films and strong themes!
An exciting event will take place in Hamburg until June 19, 2025: the fifth Jewish Film Days. A total of five films from Israel, the USA and France will be shown in the Zeise, Abaton, Metropolis and Passage cinemas. It opened with a thriller called “Guns & Moses,” which tells the story of a small-town rabbi who witnesses a murder. The idea and program for the Jewish Film Days come from Elisabeth Friedler, who works closely with Sebastian Schirrmeister to create a varied program. The films shown are selected by reviewing works that have already been presented at major Jewish film festivals, which underlines the quality of the offering. NDR reports.
Friedler, who is also a cultural officer for the Jewish Community of Hamburg, sees the festival as a platform to give space to current Jewish topics. Among the films presented this year, the documentary “Kafka’s Last Trial” stands out. It sheds light on the controversial legacy of Franz Kafka and is made more vivid through animated scenes. Particular attention is paid to the German premiere, where both the director and the author of the book will be present to lead a discussion after the screening. The Jewish Film Days, which have existed since 2021, have gained in importance after initial difficulties during the Corona period; Last year around 450 visitors came to the films with subsequent discussions. The Jewish General adds.
Diverse topics and an exchange of cultures
The Jewish Film Days not only provide a platform for films, but also aim to overcome stereotypes and promote dialogue between different cultures. The festival presents a wide range of themes, including a marriage comedy about cultural differences in an ultra-Orthodox environment and a moving memento in the form of a ring that survived the Shoah. Another notable film is the French contribution “Auction”, which deals with a painting by Egon Schiele that has been missing since 1939 and addresses the problem of stolen art. This is what the Jüdische Allgemeine reports.
Given the current geopolitical situation, Israeli films are finding it difficult to be heard. The Jewish Film Days in Hamburg therefore represent an important platform to present these productions and promote cultural understanding. The collaboration with institutions such as the Institute for the History of German Jews (IGdJ) shows that there is a clear will to make the Jewish world accessible to a broader public. The incoming director of the IGdJ, Kim Wünschmann, will lead the institution's fortunes from 2025 and is likely to bring a breath of fresh air to the program.
Although the Berlin-Brandenburg Jewish Film Festival, which will take place a week later from June 18 to 23, 2024, struggles with the consequences of terror and trauma, it also offers space for the examination of Jewish life and culture. This shows that even in difficult times, film art can serve as a means of reflection and exchange. RBB24 has provided interesting insights into this.