Footprints: A selection of films on the Holocaust
The Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre is proud to present Footprints, a curated selection of films exploring the Holocaust, with special attention to the history and experiences of Polish Jews. This programme accompanies the exhibition Sweet Home Sweet: A Story of Survival, Memory and Returns presented at the CTHGC. with Footprints screenings taking place on the 25, 26 and 27 November 2025. The programme will be led by our special guest Ada Kopec-Pawliowska from the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow, Poland.
TREASURE | 25 NOVEMBER, 6PM
Dir. Julia von Heinz, Germany, France, Poland, USA, 2024, 112′
Treasure follows a father-daugther road trip through post-socialist Poland, exploring family, identity, and the past. Ruth (Lena Dunham) accompanies her father, Holocaust survivor Edek ( Stephen Fry), as he returns to the places tied to his most painful memories, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. Blending humour, emotion, and historical reflection, the film, based on Lili Brett’s autobiographical novel, celebrates the power of reconnecting with one’s roots.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING | 26 NOVEMBER, 6PM
Dir. Jasmine Kainy, Israel, 2023, 71′
Halina Birenbaun, a Holocaust survivor and acclaimed author, embarks on her annual journey to Poland, this time accompanied by her son, Yakov Gilad, Through this journey, Yakov comes to understand the lifelong trauma haunting his mother and discovers new insights into Jewish-Polish relations and the treatment of survivors. Halina’s vivid recollections span her experiences in the Warsaw Ghetto, Majdanek, Auschwitz, and Ravensbrück, and reflect a life of resilience and enduring love for Poland.
RENIA SPIEGEL’S DIARY | 26 NOVEMBER, 7:30PM
Dir. Julia von Heinz, Germany, France, Poland, USA, 2024, 112′
Treasure follows a father-daugther road trip through post-socialist Poland, exploring family, identity, and the past. Ruth (Lena Dunham) accompanies her father, Holocaust survivor Edek ( Stephen Fry), as he returns to the places tied to his most painful memories, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. Blending humour, emotion, and historical reflection, the film, based on Lili Brett’s autobiographical novel, celebrates the power of reconnecting with one’s roots.
BEDROCK | 27 NOVEMBER, 6PM
Dir. Kinga Michalska, Canada, 2025, 102′
Bedrock is a psychological journey across today’s Poland that weaves together stories of Poles living on Holocaust sites. Through a series of intimate encounters, this poetic film looks at the unsettling contradictions people learn to live with.