Until then, Lisa Lewenz knew little about her family's history. Ella Arnhold Lewenz's films exposed a moving chronicle of several generations in her prominent German-Jewish family. Using some of the earliest known 16mm color footage and defying censorship laws to depict a homeland that become increasingly unfamiliar under the shadow of Nazi oppression, Ella also filmed notables Albert Einstein and Brigitte Helm before their exile. Structured as an imagined correspondence between generations, their film works simultaneously on a personal and historical level as witness, testament, and tribute. Lewenz produced, wrote, directed, and edited the film with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Independent Television Service, and additional support from the Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Fund for Jewish Filmmaking, the Donnet Fund, the Fulbright Commission of Germany, and other sources.
Variety calls the film remarkable.
It opens a window on an entire world. Subsequent Gotham footage again shows Einstein, this time at the 1939 World's Fair, and postwar material includes glimpses of a devastated Germany Ella took on a late-'40s visit. Copyright 2000, Lafayette College.