Event

In Heaven, Underground

Charlotte Jewish Film Festival Film sponsored by the Hebrew Cemetery of Greater Charlotte

In Heaven, Underground is an enchanting journey into history that celebrates life and the immortality of memories. North of Berlin's noisy city center, surrounded by a jungle of trees and lush foliage, lies the peaceful and secluded 130-year-old Weissensee Jewish Cemetery, the largest Jewish cemetery still in use in Europe. Its 100 acres houses more than 115,000 graves and a meticulous archive record. The cemetery never closed and was one of the few institutions to remain in Jewish hands during the Nazi regime.

Walking through the cemetery is like walking through a history book and award-winning director Britta Wauer follows a delightful array of characters from around the world: mourners, tourists, a young family residing at the cemetery, a third-generation gravedigger and an ornithologist studying rare birds of prey.

Directed by Britta Wauer

Documentary Feature/Germany/German, English, Russian and Hebrew with English subtitles/90 minutes/2011

"Poetic and exquisite."
- The New York Times

"A playful, poetic and all-around charming documentary."
- Los Angeles Times

"Astonishing... an indelible must-see film."
- The Forward

"An engaging and surprisingly playful movie"
- New York Magazine

"A marvelously entertaining documentary... It is as charming and delightful a film as one will ever encounter."
- The Huffington Post

"Elegant... graceful and charming, In Heaven, Underground is a delightful surprise."
- The Jewish Week

Awards

Panorama Audience Award - Berlin International Film Festival

Honorable Mention - Jerusalem Film Festival