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Upcoming Festivals and Showings of Tangled Roots
Today's headlines show that 57 years after the end of World War II, neither Germans nor Jews have found a way to make peace with the past. Billions of dollars in reparation monies are being paid by powerful German companies to Jewish organizations representing families killed in the Holocaust.
Many Jewish people argue that the reparations are not enough.
Many Germans argue that no amount of money will ever satisfy the
demands of the Jewish community.
In Germany in the year 2000, Jewish cemeteries are still desecrated,
neo-Nazi incidents still occur, and plans for the nation's first
Holocaust Museum in Berlin are still not realized.
It is difficult for Jewish people to move beyond their fear and
hatred of Nazi-era Germany. They have still not found a way to
embrace the new generation of Germans who are trying to chart
a path for Germany's future while bearing the burden of their
past.
 Tangled Roots is a unique film that contributes to a vision of peace for both
Germans and Jews. It offers a way for people to look at the complexities
of the past by following one woman's story as she struggles to
reconcile her dual identity as both a German (father's side) and
a Jew (mother's side).
Through intimate interviews with both her Jewish relatives in
America and her German Lutheran relatives abroad, she discovers
a rich family tapestry spanning three continents, shaped by war,
courage, prejudice, and fear. Their history becomes hers, strengthening
the viewer's connection to both families' very different efforts
to honor and remember the past without allowing it to imprison
their future.
As we enter the new millennium and the global community continues
to expand and diversify, we must continue to focus on what connects
us rather than what divides us. This film brings engaging political
and social issues into the forefront, challenging viewers to judge
people as individuals, rather than members of a certain "group."
We must listen when people say: although my family is German,
I am not a Nazi. Although my family is Serbian, I do not hate
Kosovo Albanians. Although my family is Hutu, I do not kill Tutsis.
Although my family is South African, I believe in the equality
of black and white.
 Tangled Roots gives a personal voice to a rarely-heard minority, a generation
of German children branded forever by their parent's actions during
the war. The film also gives an original voice to the countless
Jewish friends and family changed forever by the horrors of the
Holocaust.
There has never been a film that explores the lives of the first
generation of Germans to grow up in the aftermath of World War
II in Germany. It is an important topic in the ongoing dialogue
between the Jewish and German communities.
Tangled Roots also speaks directly to anyone interested in exploring their own
cultural heritage and cultural baggage. In every group and every
family, there are people to be proud of and people who fill you
with shame.
The filmmaker's story and the moral dilemma from which she must
free herself compel viewers to see beyond the politics of war
and the climate of hate by honoring and learning from the past
in order to contribute to a more compassionate future.
To Order Tangled Roots, click here
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Synopsis • Endorsements • Crew Bios • Support
