The Old Jewish Cemetery of Munich
Documentary, HD, color, stereo, presumably 45-60 min.
Behind the high brick wall at the Thalkirchner Street, an exceptional piece of history of the city of Munich is hidden: The abandoned, ancient Israelite cemetery.
It was founded in 1816 and even survived the dark chapters of the city: Despite the plans of the Nazis for building development there, the last-resting place can still be found. This is also owed to the courageous commitment of the Christian Angermeier family who is in charge of the supervision of the jewish cemetery for generations now. owe, At present it's Johanna Angermeier, the daughter-in-law of the former supervisor who is responsible for the care of the jewish resting place. But the cemetery doesn't only shelter the death: Johanna Angermeier is renting a small part of the former "Tahara hall", the former mourning house for ritual jewish funeral. She is wholeheartedly commited to "her cemetery" and fights her every-day struggle against transcience and oblivion. She knows the stories and fates behind almost any of the grave stones...
Mrs. Angermeier is accompanied by the camera as the central protagonist of the film during her working-times in the old cemetery in the changing of the seasons. Poetic images of the different climatic moods capture the special atmosphere of that peaceful place. The use of archive footage illustrates not the only the life-lines of interesting representatives of the Munich bourgeoisie of the 20th century, such as the industrialist Otto Perutz, who manufactured film-material that was in great demand in the 50's, but also explains by interviewing experts, such as historicans and important representative of the present Jewish community in Munich, Jewish burial rites and the symbolism on the tombstones. Survivors, as the 90-year-old Uri Siegel, nephew of the former Bayern Munich honorary president Kurt Landauer, share their family history and how it is connected to the old cemetery, based on personal memories.
Written and directed by Isabel Gathof & Agata Wozniak
Cinematography by Nicolas Mussell
