Golda Maria

In 1994, film producer Patrick Sobelman sat for three days with his 84-year-old grandmother Golda Maria Tondovska, a survivor of Nazi concentration camps, as she opened up for the first time about her experiences. Born into a Polish-Jewish family, she grew up in Berlin but fled to Paris in 1933, where she met her husband and gave birth to a girl and a boy before the beginning of the war. A static 8mm camera intimately records her memories, including her acknowledgement that her unreserved love for France kept her from fleeing to safer grounds. After her death in 2010, Sobelman realised that her devastating testimony carried a potent, universal message; he decided to edit the eight-hour conversation together with his son Hugo, a documentary filmmaker. The film’s simple set-up allows us to enter Golda Maria’s past and face the horrors of history. Although she is talking to her grandson, she is able to speak to the minds and hearts of everyone. A riveting and unforgettable experience for any viewer, citizen of the world and human being.
by Patrick Sobelman, Hugo Sobelman France 2020 French 115’ Colour World premiere | Documentary form

Crew

Written and Directed by Patrick Sobelman, Hugo Sobelman
Editing Hugo Sobelman
Colourist Guillaume Schmitter
Sound Design Najib El Yafi
Producers Muriel Meynard, Carine Ruszniewski

Produced by

Ex Nihilo

Gogogo Films

Patrick Sobelman

Born in Paris, France in 1956, the producer co-founded the Ex Nihilo production company in 1984 and has been a partner in Agat Films & Cie since 1993. He has produced more than 50 films, including L’effet aquatique (The Together Project) by Sólveig Anspach, which was presented at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2016 and won the SACD Award, and Les estivants (The Summer House) by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, which premiered at Venice in 2018. Golda Maria is his directorial debut.

Filmography

2020 Golda Maria

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020

Hugo Sobelman

Born in 1988, the documentary filmmaker started his career as a production assistant before working as assistant director on films including Queen of Montreuil by Sólveig Anspach, which was presented at Venice Days in 2012. In the same year, he began directing music videos for the independent label X-Ray Production. Golda Maria is his first feature-length film. His second, Soul Kids, is currently in post-production.

Filmography

2020 Golda Maria

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020