Golda & Roza

1995, 50:45 min, color, sound

In this powerful personal narrative, Hámos documents the reunion of his grandmother Golda and her sister Roza after a separation of eighty years. Through a series of uncanny coincidences, Hámos helps Golda find Roza (who was sent to America from Hungary in 1912 to find work) in Los Angeles. Hámos traces the divergent paths of the two sisters, interweaving archival footage with interviews. He juxtaposes his grandmother's struggles through two World Wars and years of totalitarianism in Hungary with the comparative ease of Roza's life in Hollywood. Roza's children, who became professionals, were raised Jewish, while Golda became Catholic to save her children from the concentration camps. The sisters' reunion is bittersweet: They cannot communicate directly; Roza no longer speaks Hungarian and Golda cannot understand English. Golda asks of her sister, "Why did you not write? Why did you not come to Hungary?" Roza answers,"For years I was very busy."

Main Characters: Gisella Himberger, Roza Gabler. Concept/ Realization: Gusztáv Hámos. Supervisor of Art: Katja Pratschke. Photos: Ben Bennett. Editor: Marianna Kiss. Video Mastering: Boldizsãr Kelemon. Title Design: Olivèr Zubor. Music: László Melis, Mick Harvey, Askenazi Guitar A & B, Magyar Dallam. Musical Score: Albinoni: "Adagio," Mahler: ?th Symphony," Metallica: "Master of Puppets," Slayer: "Die by the Sword and Fight till Death," When: "Gray (part I)," Louis Armstrong: "What a Wonderful World," Yikhes: "Yiddis Hora-a Heymish Freykhs," Beethoven: "Egmont Opus 84." Editor (ZDF): Kathrin Brinkmann, Sabine Bubeck. A Hámos Film Production with the cooperation of FMS and ARTE/ZDF. Coproduction FMS: Jolán Árvai.

Ordering & Fees

  
Screening Rental
Digital File
$190.00
 
Exhibition Rental
Digital File
$940.00
 
Educational Purchase
DVD NTSC
$400.00