Jewish film days in Hamburg: film variety and exciting premieres!

Jewish film days in Hamburg: film variety and exciting premieres!

The fifth Jewish film days in Hamburg have started! From June 16 to 19, 2025, the cinemas for Zeise, Abaton, Metropolis and Passage present an exciting selection of films from Israel, the USA and France. Elisabeth Friedler and Sebastian Schirrmeister, who have put together the program, not only want to entertain with this event, but also want to stimulate a dialogue about cultural questions. On the opening evening, the thriller "Guns & Moses" is shown, which tells the story of a small city trabbi who becomes a witness to a violence in a US desert location. The complexity of Jewish identity is already discussed here and the viewer is stimulated to think.

The program includes five films that illuminate the wide range of Jewish current topics. A highlight is the documentary "Kafka’s Last Trial", which deals with Franz Kafka's competitive estate. The director and the author will be present at the German premiere. In addition, a marriage comedy is shown in the ultra -orthodox milieu, as well as a film that deals with a ring that has survived the Shoah. And not to forget: the French film "Auction", which deals with a painting by Egon Schiele and the topic of predatory art that has been lost since 1939.

culture and identity in focus

The Jewish film days have set themselves the task of showing different facets of Jewish presence and promoting the exchange. In this context, the current political situation that influences the visibility of Israeli films at festivals is also mentioned. At a time when cultural discourses are often polarized, the festival offers a platform to convey empathetic insights into the Jewish identity and the challenges in front of them.

For example, the short film "Footy Land" by Jochen Alexander Freydank, who lasts 14 minutes, invites you to think about childhood and carefree, while serious topics such as deportation are in the room. The content is moving when young protagonists dream of their dream worlds while reality is anything but rosy.

exchange as a guiding principle

A central leitmotif of the film days is that the exchange between different cultures and perspectives is important. This is also evident in the diversity of the films. The Jewish film days in Hamburg not only offer a platform for films about the Shoah, but also illuminate everyday stories and challenges of Jewish life. It becomes clear that culture plays a key role in identity that is more than just memory of past. It is alive and develops.

For all those who are looking for a very special cinematic experience, the Jewish film days are exactly the thing. More than just a festival for cineastes, it is also an invitation to talk about what they see and to discover differences and similarities. Here the cinema becomes a place of dialogue - and that's exactly what we need in difficult times.

NDR reports on the moving topics and facets that visitors can expect. The festival is a memory that culture can make bridges and create connections that go beyond the limits of the cinema.