More than 65 years ago in 1947, Margot Friedlander and her husband immigrated to New York, swearing they would never set foot on German soil again. Both had survived the Holocaust: Margot hidden by Germans in Berlin for 13 months before she was discovered and sent to Theresienstadt. When her husband passed away in the late ‘90s Margot enrolled in a memoir writing class at the 92nd Street Y in New York and embarked on an exploration of her personal history, identity, and sense of belonging.
It was at the 92nd Street Y, that Margot met the filmmaker Thomas Halaczinsky, who was inspired by her story and began working on the documentary Don’t Call It Heimweh. The production of this film brought Margot back to Germany. In March 2014, an English version of Friedlander’s book, Try to Make your Life, will be published by BEA Press. In 2010 at the age of 88 Margot decided to move back to Germany for good. Thomas Halaczinsky decided to document her move back to Berlin, resulting in the film A Long Way Home.
This will be a screening of both documentaries. Margot Friedlander will read from her memoir and discuss it with the journalist Petrina Engelke. The filmmaker Thomas Halaczinsky will also be present to discuss his work.
New York City, NY; NYC