Herr Zwilling und Frau Zuckermann (1999)

Scenes from everyday Jewish life in the city are shown. The protagonists are the younger Mathias Zwilling, who comes from respected families in the region, and 90-year-old Rosa Roth-Zuckermann, whom he visits every evening. They are among the last remaining German-speaking Jews in the city. They talk about the present and its problems, such as the unpaid wages and pensions of many residents and the large-scale emigration, as well as the difficult past, when Mrs. Zuckermann lost her entire family within a few days. We see life at the Jewish cultural center, the Jewish school, the Jewish cemetery, and everyday scenes in the city. The residents’ brief statements, conversations, and songs—in Ukrainian, Russian, Yiddish, Hebrew, Hutsul, English, French, and Romanian—are not translated, lending the film a particular authenticity. The film is shaped by the restrained approach of filmmaker Volker Koepp and the careful camerawork of Thomas Plenert, which moves slowly through the winter landscape and everyday scenes, creating memorable images. There are no commentaries or background music; the soundscape consists solely of the everyday sounds captured during filming.