'The Holocaust sculptures in Berlin. Opening ceremony'

'The Holocaust sculptures in Berlin. Opening ceremony. (Uncut rushes)' including journey and East Berlin.

Content: This film contains the opening ceremony or dedication service (in entirety?), packing the sculptures in London and their journey to Germany focussing on the former East Berlin. The film starts with the drive to Berlin, noting various landmarks, monuments, buildings and sites on the way including the Brandenburg Gate, the Topographie des Terrors (the former site of the Nazi SS and State Police headquarters), former Berlin Wall sites, walls peppered with bullet holes, large building sites for new build. The approach to the Church of the Holy Cross is shown and the church orchestra playing. This is followed by the dedication service performed by Bishop Wolfgang Huber. Speakers include Dr Manfred Stolpe, President of the Brandenberg Government, Christine Bergmann, Mayor of Berlin, Rev Albert Friedlander, a leader of British Jewry and Canon Paul Oestreicher of Coventry Cathedral, and Ruth Rosen.

The remainder of the film consists of a rough cut showing Ismond Rosen's studio in his Hampstead house and all the works of art in it, inter-cut with footage of the art handlers packing the triptych and leaving Hampstead, some scenes driving through Berlin, approaching and entering the Church and installing the sculptures. There follows also footage of Ismond's portrait sculptures inter-cut with the audience/congregation at the ceremony and footage of Rosen family seated, parts of speeches and the interior of the church.

Music played by the orchestra and over-dubbed in the rough-cuts is the Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.

The film was made by two film makers, Andrew Hood and David Fenner, commissioned by David Puttnam.

Nov 1996

1 video cassette: 1 hr, 15 mins, 35 secs