Oma & Bella Directed
by
Alexa Karolinski USA, Germany / 2012 / 76 minutes East Coast Premiere
In German with subtitles
Screening
Times and Venues:
SYNOPSIS:
Alexa Karolinski’s film is a loving portrait of its two leading ladies as they embrace life in all its extremes, finding joy in subtle moments and discovering hidden histories in unexpected places.
Karolinski introduces us to Oma, her grandmother, and Bella, her grandmother’s friend, who live in Berlin, Germany. We first meet them in the kitchen, where they prepare meals they learned to cook as children. The filmmaker weaves an unforgettable journey with these women through the stories they tell and the memories they share.
In a series of conversations with Karolinski and with each other, we learn details of their past. What emerges is a first person history of some of humanity’s darkest hours. Oma and Bella, both survivors of German concentration camps, give voice to their families’ experiences during the Holocaust. Their deep friendship was forged in those unimaginable years.
Karlinski’s insightful and inspiring portrait captures the way these remarkable women carry the past gracefully into the present, one meal at a time. –David Becker
BIO:
Alexa Karolinski (b. 1984) is a half-German, half-Canadian filmmaker who grew up in Berlin with weekly lunch visits to her grandmother’s. After studying art history in London, she moved back to Berlin to work for Vice Magazine, and then became a director at Arte. She recently graduated from New York’s School of Visual Arts with an MFA in Documentary Filmmaking. Alexa currently lives and works in New York, where she directs fashion videos, freelances for Arte, works for the filmmaker John Walter and if she has time, cooks feasts for her friends. Oma & Bella is her first feature length film but she is already at work on her next movie.
MAIN CREDITS:
Cast/Featuring: Regina Karolinski, Bella Katz
Executive Producer(s): Stephan Fruth, Dari Marder
Producer(s): Alexa Karolinski, Maro Chermanyeff, Jeff Dupre
The Woodstock Film Festival is a not-for-profit, 501c3 organization with a mission to present an
annual program and year-round schedule of film, music,
and art-related activities that promote artists, culture,
inspired learning, and diversity. The Hudson Valley Film
Commission promotes sustainable economic development
by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.
