Personal Memoriam Rosa von Praunheim
In the Personal Memoriams section, each evening is dedicated to a deceased figure from the world of documentary film – curated and hosted by someone with close professional or personal ties to that person. This evening focuses on filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, and his film MEINE MÜTTER will be screened. Julia von Heinz, a close friend of Praunheim’s, will host the evening. Her short film MEINE VÄTER will be shown, which explores this relationship that shaped her both personally and artistically.
Be sure to read the eulogy Julia von Heinz wrote to Rosa von Praunheim.
MEINE MÜTTER - SPURENSUCHE IN RIGA - PERSONAL MEMORIAM PRAUNHEIM
Deutschland 2007 – Director: Rosa von Praunheim – Original language: German – Subtitles: None – Length: 87 min.
If you buy an @home ticket for this film, you can also watch the film MEINE VÄTER online.
After 63 years, I’ve decided to fly to Riga and follow in the footsteps of my two mothers. This search is also a fascinating chapter in German and Latvian contemporary history. MEINE MÜTTER – SPURENSUCHE IN RIGA is coming out just in time for my 65th birthday and marks my 70th film.
No youth rating
Rosa von Praunheim, born Holger Mischwitzky, explored queer realities in a body of work that included both experimental documentaries and feature films. He rose to fame with his 1971 documentary *It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Situation in Which He Lives*. With documentary works such as the AIDS trilogy (1989–1990), he was among the first to address the disease on film. Drawing from his own past—born in prison and subsequently adopted—Rosa von Praunheim created MEINE MÜTTER – SPURENSUCHE IN RIGA in 2007. He grew up with his parents in the GDR, later in Frankfurt am Main, until he finally settled in Berlin. In addition to numerous awards (Teddy Award, Max Ophüls Honorary Prize, etc.), Von Praunheim received the Federal Cross of Merit in recognition of his work for LGBTQ+ visibility.
In the Personal Memoriams section, each evening is dedicated to a deceased figure from the world of documentary film – curated and hosted by someone with close professional or personal ties to that person. This evening focuses on filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, and his film MEINE MÜTTER will be screened. Julia von Heinz, a close friend of Praunheim’s, will host the evening. Her short film MEINE VÄTER will be shown, which explores this relationship that shaped her both personally and artistically.
Be sure to read the eulogy Julia von Heinz wrote to Rosa von Praunheim.
English/Original Title: MEINE MÜTTER - SPURENSUCHE IN RIGA - Personal Memoriam. German title: MEINE MÜTTER - SPURENSUCHE IN RIGA - Personal Memoriam. Camera: Elfi Mikesch, Thomas Ladenburger, Markus Tiarks. Sound: Manja Ebert, Martin Brinins. Editing: Mike Shephard. Music: Andreas Wolter. Production: Rosa von Praunheim Produktion. Producer: Martin Kruppe. International Sales: missingFILMs GmbH Distribution: missingFILMs GmbH.
MEINE VÄTER - PERSONAL MEMORIAM PRAUNHEIM
Deutschland 2021 – Director: Julia von Heinz – Original language: English, German – Subtitles: English – Length: 22 min.
This film will be screened alongside the film MEINE MÜTTER. Please purchase a ticket here for MEINE MÜTTER for both the screening on Sunday, May 17, at HFF Audimax and the @home screening so that you can watch both films.
Julia von Heinz’s 80-year-old father passes away unexpectedly. It is only through his legacy that the filmmaker discovers that the former reserve officer was gay and had been leading a double life. The director reaches out to Rosa von Praunheim, an icon of the gay rights movement. What emerges is a portrait of a headstrong and lonely man. (Hofer Filmtage 2025)
No youth rating
In addition to her work as a director, Julia von Heinz, who holds a doctorate in filmmaking from the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, is also active as a screenwriter, producer, and professor at filmuniversity HFF München.
In the Personal Memoriams section, each evening is dedicated to a deceased figure from the world of documentary film – curated and hosted by someone with close professional or personal ties to that person. This evening focuses on filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, and his film MEINE MÜTTER will be screened. Julia von Heinz, a close friend of Praunheim’s, will host the evening. Her short film MEINE VÄTER will be shown, which explores this relationship that shaped her both personally and artistically.
Be sure to read the eulogy Julia von Heinz wrote to Rosa von Praunheim.
Production: Maze Pictures. Producer: Philipp Kreuzer.
