MATRILINEAL

‘Matrilineal’ is a self-authored documentary, shot from my point of view as I explore the unfolding story of my grandmothers past. The story will focus on my emotions, experiences and the theme of self-discovery as I tie together the loose threads of my family’s ancestry. Through my own findings and talking to family members, ‘Matrilineal’ follows me, uncovering how the religion in my family shifted from Judaism to Catholicism and why this heritage was lost to time.

The death of my Grandmother led me to discover a lost Jewish heritage through the stories that helped create this strong woman.

In the shadow of my Grandmother’s passing, I discovered elements of my family’s lost Jewish heritage in the documents hidden away in my grandmothers drawers. My journey is all about searching for answers and finding out how this chunk of her family’s history ended up being left behind. During the process of emptying her house I found journals, documents, and letters that told the story of my Great Grandfathers family; how they fled Nazi Germany – with half his family settling in England before adopting my Grandmother (who herself was a refugee from Nazi Germany). With everything I found — I began to piece together a portrait of my Grandmother through the items left behind in her house, conversation with family and my own memories.