Festival blog Saturday

Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
We mourn the loss of Margot Friedländer, who worked tirelessly for dialogue and peace until the very end. ‘Be human beings. That is what I ask you to do: Be human.’ We will not forget your courage and your voice, Margot.

Festival blog Saturday, 10 May 2025
The slideshow for Friday shows it clearly: The day was characterised by intensive discussions and exciting cinema moments.

Gershon Klein Feature Film Award
OF DOGS AND MEN - Dani Rosenberg
📍 10.05. | 17:00 Thalia Potsdam | 20:00 Moviemento Berlin
📍 11.05. | 18:00 Filmkunst 66 Saal 1 | 19:00 Moviemento Berlin

Gershon Klein Documentary Film Award
HOLDING LIAT - Brandon Kramer
📍 10 May | 16:30 Thalia Potsdam
📍 11.05. | 17:30 Filmkunst 66 Saal 2 | 20:15 Moviemento Berlin

Honourable mention
THE BELLE FROM GAZA - Yolande Zauberman
📍 10.05. | 20:30 Filmkunst 66 Saal 2
📍 11.05. | 21:00 Moviemento Berlin

Prize for intercultural dialogue
JACOB DE HAAN: A VOICE OUT OF TIME - Zvi Landsman
📍 11.05. | 16:00 Thalia Potsdam

Newcomer Award
COME CLOSER - Tom Nesher

The Festival Saturday starts in the morning with a double panel focus in Filmkunst 66, Hall 1. Admission is free. At 10:30 the panel ‘Genesis: The Jewish-Arab Relationship in Israeli Film - A Review’ invites you to take stock of film history. Ariel Schweitzer (Cahiers du Cinéma), Yael Reuveny (‘Farewell, Mr Schwarz’) and film scholar Naomi Rolef will discuss how the cinematic representation of Jewish-Arab relations in Israel has developed - and what has not been talked about for a long time. The discussion will be moderated by Nir Ferber.

Directly afterwards, from 12:00 to 13:00, the panel ‘Reception: Jewish-Arab Perspectives at International Festivals’ will follow. Dani Rosenberg (‘Of Dogs and Men’), producer Baher Agbariya (‘Omar’, ‘Mediterranean Fever’) and programme designer Nir Ferber will talk about opportunities and challenges for films from the region at international festivals - especially against the backdrop of current political developments. The discussion will be moderated by producer and curator Naomi Levari.

At 17:00 in the Krokodil cinema we will be showing the rediscovery of two film testimonies about Jewish lives in the GDR: CHRONIK EINER RÜCKKEHR (CZ 1993) by Martin Pátek, accompanied by the supporting film SCHALOM NEUES DEUTSCHLAND - JUDEN IN DER DDR. The film documents tell of return, departure, anti-Semitism and questions about the future after reunification - with the participation of the filmmakers and protagonists on location.

At the same time at Bundesplatz-Kino Berlin: The historical feature film THE HUNGARIAN DRESSMAKER by Iveta Grófová. In the midst of the violence of fascist Slovakia, a dressmaker hides a Jewish child. A touching story about courage, loss and humanity. The director will be on site for a discussion afterwards.

Also at 17:00, this time in Potsdam at the Thalia-Kino, OF DOGS AND MEN by Dani Rosenberg begins. After the attacks of October 7, a young woman returns to her destroyed kibbutz in search of her dog.

Also at 20:00 in the Berlin Moviemento - with the director present.

A special portrait follows at 18:00 at Filmkunst 66: WEDDING BLUES by Oury Milshtein. Between childhood, cinema and therapy, a deeply personal documentary full of self-irony and charm unfolds. There will be a second screening at 20:00 in the Bundesplatz-Kino - with the director in attendance.

The Inselbühne Potsdam (Open Air) then offers a pop culture highlight at 20:30: MIDAS MAN about Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who lived as a queer Jew in the 60s between fame and being an outsider. Director Joe Stephenson will be on site.

Tickets cost 10 EUR, concessions 8 EUR, available via jfbb.info and at the venues. For culinary accompaniment, take a look at berlin-judentum.de/koscher.