January 2020 Online Short

Chaja & Mimi

SYNOPSIS
Chaja Florentin and Mimi Frons have been best friends for 83 years. Born and raised in Berlin, they had to escape from the Nazis to Palestine with their families in 1934. They talk about their complicated relationship with Berlin in a Tel Aviv café where they meet everyday. A film about friendship, homeland and identity.

The film was premiered in Germany in its 2009 version, which was only sent to German film festivals. The complete reedited 2013 version is sent to
international festivals and made second at the “1st International Competition
of Short Films Walter Benjamin” in Portbou, Spain and has been awarded
with the Seal of Approval “highly recommended” from the German Film
Quality Assessment Board FBW (Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden — FBW).
Since 2011 the film is used in the educational school project “Nicht in die
Schultüte gelegt…” (“not being placed in the first day of school cone”) of the
Anne Frank Center.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Eric Esser born 1975, first short film in 2003. Upon completion of his studies in media informatics (majoring in “media studies”), he worked for the WZB Berlin Social Research Center. In 2005 he began his studies at the filmArche Berlin, a self-governed film school where he majored in directing and documentary film making. He is currently a member of the filmArche Elders’ Council and actively engaged in the AG DOK, a working group for documentary film making. Eric Esser lives and works on Berlin.