Czernowitz is located in Bukovina, a border region characterised by it's multi-ethnic character for centuries. The Jewish population once made up half of the local residents; only few survived the deportations to the camps in Transnistria ordered by the Germans in 1941 however. Volker Koepp's film, released in 1999, focuses on Mr. Zwilling and Mrs. Zuckermann, two of the last Jews born in the Czernowitz of old. Alongside their friendship, the two are connected by the German language. Every day, Mr. Zwilling visits 90-year-old Mrs. Zuckermann in the evenings. They talk about times gone by and everyday worries. The life stories of these two people reflect the hardships of the 20th century. The film combines their memories with episodes from Jewish life in Chernivtsi after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the late 1990s.
In light of the resurgence of anti-Semitism currently playing out across Europe, Koepp's cinematic masterpiece has lost none of its significance or relevance, even today, more than 20 years after its release.nChernivtsi is one of the few major Ukrainian cities that has not been attacked by Russian troops since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and is currently considered a place of refuge for Ukrainian internally displaced persons.
Text: adapted from https://salzgeber.de/zwillingzuckermann, edited by Charlotte Kühn
After the screenings in May 7th and 10th there will be a Q&A with director Volker Koepp.
Special Event
Matineé: Herr Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann revisited
SUN 11.05. 11:00 Filmmuseum Potsdam
Matinée discussion with director Volker Koepp and screenplay co-author Barbara Frankenstein about the making and background of the classic documentary. What is it about Bukovina and Czernowitz that still fascinates us today? How has the view of the film changed as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine? How did the film crew experience the situation for Jews in the post-Soviet era?
Language: German
