Chaja Florentin and Mimi Frons, grown up in Berlin, had to escape to Palestine from the Nazis in 1934. In a café in Tel Aviv they reflect about their difficult relationship to Berlin.
CAST
Chaja Herta Florentin, née Striks, as herself
Mimi Frons, née Dzialowski, as herself
CREW
Idea, Directing & Production: Eric Esser
DOP: Albrecht von Grünhagen
Sound: Benjamin Laser / Eric Esser
Editing: Benjamin Laser
Final Cut: Evelyn Rack
Sound Design: Michael Scheuemann
Color Correction: Daniel Bachler
Rental: MakeShiftMovies
World sales: MakeShiftMovies
Eric Esser made his first short film in 2003. Upon completion of his studies in media informatics at Beuth University of Applied Sciences, he worked for the Berlin Social Science Center. In 2005 he began his studies at the Filmarche Berlin, a self-governed film school where he majored in directing and documentary film-making.
He is currently a member of the Filmarche Elders’ Council and engaged in the AG DOK, a working group for documentary film-making. 2019 he finished his Master’s Degree in documentary film-making at the Konrad Wolf Film University in Potsdam, Germany.
Eric Esser lives and works on Berlin.
Filmographie
2019 The Angel of History (documentary, 10’’)
2018 Rotation (documentary, 71’’)
2014 We Weren’t Given Anything for Free (documentary, 58’’)
2009 / 2013 Chaja & Mimi (documentary, 10’’)
2006 Dawn Of The Dorks (trash, 22’’)
2006 Cevapcici (co-director, documentary, 10’’)
2004 November (trash, 5’’)
2003 Buns (trash, 5’’)
Chaja Florentin and Mimi Frons have been best friends for 83 years. Born and raised in Berlin, they had to escape to Palestine with their families in 1934. They talk about their complicated relationship with Berlin in a Tel Aviv café where they meet everyday. A film about friendship, homeland and identity.
Chaja & Mimi lost everything, when they arrived to their now homeland, being a Immigrant to a new country. The movie portraits their ambivalent relationship to the town they were born in, as well as the town in which they had to suffer so much, and where many of the perpetrators live, who killed their family members.
I chose this subject, because I am a Berlin resident, and I think you have to collect these stories of the survivors to bear in mind that human rights are something valuable and also easy to lose. It hasn’t been a long time since here in Germany there were no human rights at all. And I think it is important to hear the voices of those how suffered in this period of time, not to forget that democracy and human rights is nothing to be granted, but something to fight for every day.
AWARDS
01.03.15 Shortcutz Berlin Awards: Best Documentary Short 2014
21.05.14 Shortcutz Berlin: Short of the Month
05/2014 Best Shorts: Award of Merit
23.10.13 3rd Place Audience Award at Night of The Political Short Movie
09/2013 Seal of Approval “highly recommended” from the German Film Quality Assessment Board FBW
22.06.13 1st International Short Film Festival “Walter Benjamin”: 2nd place
FESTIVALS
14.03.20 2nd Indie For You Film Festival, San Ramon, USA
07.09.18 Cine Autor (VOD), Sa Pobla, Spain
12.03.17 Beeston Film Festival, Beeston, UK
04.03.17 Respect Belfast Human Rights Film Festival, Belfast, UK
01.03.17 BICC – Bienal Internacional de Cine Científico Ronda, Madrid, Germany
13.09.16 La Rioja es de Cine (Festival), Haro, Spain
27.05.16 Festival Internacional de Cine por los Derechos Humanos, Bogotá, Colombia
23.10.15 Jüdische Kulturtage Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
15.09.15 Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes Hayah 2015, Panama City, Panama
18.08.15 XI Festival Internacional de Cine de los Derechos Humanos de Bolivia, Sucre, Bolivia
10.06.15 12º Festival Internacional de Cine Judío en Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
15.04.15 Shorts Offenburg 15, Offenburg, Germany
18.03.15 Rios Festival, Vila Real, Portugal
12.03.15 ShortyWEEK, El Puerto de Santa María, Spain
27.02.15 25. Bamberger Kurzfilmtage, Bamberg, Germany
01.02.15 TMFF – The Monthly Film Festival, Glasgow, UK
27.12.14 Ichill Manila Film Fest, Manila, Philippines
17.12.14 5th Overlook Film Festival, Rom, Italy
16.11.14 5th Siliguri International Short Film and Documentary Contest, Siliguri, India
02.11.14 Filmfestspiele Biberach, Biberach, Germany
01.11.14 Guth Gafa, Kells, Ireland
26.10.14 Berlin Short Film Festival 2014, Berlin, Germany
25.10.14 Guth Gafa Malin, Ireland
10.10.14 MOSCA 9 – Mostra Audiovisual de Cambuquira, Cambuquira, Brazil
27.09.14 Thurrock International Film Festival, Grays, UK
26.09.14 Mujeres en Foco Buenos Aires, Argentina
26.09.14 Festival Nacional de Cine Estudiantil 2014, Montevideo, Uruguay
25.09.14 XI Festival internacional de cine solidario, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Spain
15.09.14 Bolgatty International Film Festival 2014, Kochi, India
13.09.14 4. OderKurz Filmspektakel, Oderaue, Germany
10.09.14 2. I(n)Differenti – Corti di Casa, Trani, Italy
31.08.14 Der NEUE HEIMAT film, Breest, Germany
30.08.14 Portobello Film Festival, London, UK
28.08.14 Der neue Heimatfilm, Freistadt, Austria
20.08.14 4th Opuzen Film Festival, Opuzen, Croatia
17.08.14 Cine Campus 2014, Caguas, Puerto Rico
08.08.14 Mpumalanga Short Film Festival, Nelspruit, South Africa
01.08.14 Ballston Spa Film Festival, Ballston Spa, USA
30.07.14 FERFILM Festival, Ferizaj, Serbia
21.07.14 Festival Internazionale Del Cinema Povero, Ispra, Italy
28.06.14 6. Picknic Film Festival, Santander, Spain
26.06.14 ICCL Human Rights Film Awards 2014, Dublin, Ireland
26.06.14 Fear No Film, Salt Lake City, USA
22.06.14 Azores Fringe Festival 2014, Madalena, Portugal
16.06.14 Tolfa Short Film Festival, Tolfa, Italy
14.06.14 Festival del documentario d’Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy
29.05.14 Video concorso Francesco Pasinetti, Venedig, Italy
21.05.14 Shortcutz Berlin, Berlin, Germany
21.05.14 Chennai Women’s International Film Festival, Chennai, India
20.05.14 LGTB and Gender International Film Festival, Buenos Aires, Argentina
15.05.14 Kurzwaren #13, Berlin, Germany
10.05.14 Cutting Hall Student Film Series, Palatine, USA
08.05.14 XXIX Black International Cinema Berlin Festival 2014, Berlin, Germany
30.03.14 New Jersey Jewish Film Festival, New Jersey, USA
29.03.14 VIII Encuentro Hispanoamericano de Cine y Video Documental, Mexico City, Mexico
14.03.14 20. West-Eastern Short Film Short Film Festival, Berlin, Germany
28.02.14 23. Muestra de Cine Internacional, Palencia, Spain
20.02.14 Festival Internacional de Cine, Iquique, Chile
15.02.14 ViBGYOR Film Festival 2014, Thrissur, India
03.02.14 Punta del Este Jewish Film Festival, Uruguay
23.10.13 Night of The Political Short Movie, Mayence, Germany
20.10.13 3. Bucharest Jewish Film Festival, Bucharest, Romania
27.09.13 Raindance’s Filmmaker’s Feierabend, Berlin, Germany
07.09.13 25. Festival de Cinema de Girona, Girona, Spain
22.06.13 1st International Competition of Short Films Walter Benjamin, Portbou, Spain