Filmreihe: Jüdisches 1945: Die Mörder sind unter uns

In the organizer's words:

80 years since the end of the war: A film and discussion series with Jewish perspectives on the year 1945

Film and panel: Knut Elstermann talks with Lisa Schoß and Philip Zengel

To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, the New Synagogue Berlin - Centrum Judaicum Foundation and the Urania Berlin are presenting a special film series in collaboration with the Berlin-Brandenburg Jewish Film Festival. From March to May 2025, films about Jewish experiences after the Shoah will be shown, accompanied by panel discussions with experts from the fields of film, history and culture, moderated by Knut Elstermann. While so-called "rubble films" focused on the suffering of the civilian population, Jewish perspectives in the immediate aftermath of the war often went unmentioned or were only hinted at. Some stories are still missing today. This film series aims to counteract this. Information on the films and discussion guests can be found here.

To kick off the series, Urania Berlin is showing the 1946 DEFA film "Die Mörder sind unter uns" ("The Murderers Are Among Us"), the first German post-war film and a classic of cinematic art, which confronts National Socialism and the questions of conscience, guilt and atonement. The film was directed by Wolfgang Staudte and stars Hildegard Knef in a dramatic leading role. After the screening, Knut Elstermann talks to Lisa Schoß and Philip Zengel from the DEFA Foundation.

Lisa Schoß is a literary and cultural scientist. She curates film series and writes about German-Jewish film and cultural history. In 2023, she published her book "Von verschiedenen Standpunkten. The representation of Jewish experience in GDR film".

Philip Zengel studied communication science and management in Erfurt, Oslo and Leipzig. He worked for the DEFA Foundation for many years during his studies and has been Head of Public Relations since 2020. In this position, he gives film introductions and writes film history texts on DEFA filmmaking.

Further dates of the film series:

25.03.2025 18:00 The Call (1949) at the New Synagogue Berlin
08.04.2025 19:30 The Phoenix (2014) at the Urania Berlin
29.04.2025 18:00 Long is the way (1948) at the New Synagogue Berlin
05.05.2025 19:30 Die Gezeichneten (1948) at the Urania Berlin
08.05.2025 11:00 The Illegals (1947) / Reminiscences from Germany (1971/1993/2012) as part of the JFFB at Filmkunst 66

In cooperation with the Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin - Centrum Judaicum and the Jewish Film Festival Berlin I Brandenburg JFBB.

Price information:

Free admission: tickets can be booked online