Film series “Jewish 1945”: Phoenix (2014)

• Knut Elstermann in conversation with Marion Brasch and Lana Lux
  

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, the New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum Foundation, together with Urania Berlin e.V. and the Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg, is presenting a special film series.

Between March and May 2025, films about Jewish experiences after the Shoah will be shown, accompanied by panel discussions with experts from the fields of film, history, and culture, moderated by Knut Elstermann.

While so-called "rubble films" focused on the suffering of the civilian population, Jewish perspectives in the immediate postwar period often remained unmentioned or only hinted at. Some stories remain missing to this day. They are committed to counteracting this.


"Too often, the history of Jews in Germany is ignored. In many people's minds, Jews only appear in the context of the Nazi era and the Shoah. But we have a history, a history, and hopefully a future in this country," says Jess Earle, Head of Education at the New Synagogue Berlin Foundation – Centrum Judaicum. "That's what this film series on the 80th anniversary of the end of the war is about: seeing Jewish experiences of the end of the war in Germany as part of the overall German experience."


The film series is part of the city-wide theme week "80 Years of the End of the War," initiated and funded by the State of Berlin, realized by Kulturprojekte Berlin with numerous partners.


(IN GERMAN)