Synopsis
- „Active forgetting“ is a common process of coping with history in Germany. The film follows the complex turns and twists of feelings, when they try to deal with threatening knowledge. My cheerful uncle toured as an entertainment musician across Germany. Only at his age of 90 I detected that he had spent 8 years in Nazi camps and that he was gay. I found out that my hometown, which presented itself as a liberal town, had been a major stronghold of the early Nazi-Party. I found out that even in brutal concentration camps turbulent festivities took place where my uncle was part of; that my mother enjoyed her career in the Hitler-Youth although knowing about her brothers captivity. Because of several taboos, the story of my beloved uncle was hardly accessible. By means of animation and image compositing, we revitalized the available photos. My surprising encounters in several countries lead the audience through the burdened social history of Germany - with a humorous undertone.
Crew
- Director: Klaus Stanjek
- Director of photography: Klaus Lautenbacher, Niels-Christian Bolbrinker, Volker Gerling, Axel Schneppat
- Editor (Cut): Barbara Toennieshen
- Score: Eike Hosenfeld, Moritz Denis
- Producer: Klaus Stanjek
- Sound: Raimund von Scheibner
- Animation: Sonja Rohleder
- Production company: CINETARIUM Babelsberg
Awards
- (2013) William-Dieterle-Filmpreis, Ludwigshafen
- (2014) Bürgerpreis der Nonfiktionale, Bad Aibling
Festivals
- (2013) DOK.fest München, München
- (2013) Cinema Bolzano, Bozen/Italien
- (2013) Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival, Jerusalem/ Israel
- (2014) Nonfiktionale, Bad Aibling
