Press kit
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•(en) A Teacher’s guide to the holocaust, « Drancy Transit Camp Memorial »
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•« Selinger sculpte la lumière », article de L'Humanité du 30 octobre 1996
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SHELOMO SELINGER
Shelomo Selinger believes he is a lucky man. Every morning he hurries from his home to work in his studio where he hammers incessantly on his latest sculpture. The regular beat resounds all day in the ancient Parisian courtyard, sometimes accompanied by his neighbor, a concert pianist who practices Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev or Ravel to the rhythm of steel chisels breaking granite. The concert finished, he returns to his home, to his wife, to his children and 11 grandchildren who all give him unbounded joy in a rich and full life. When Shelomo Selinger arrived in Paris in 1954, the only stone he could afford to sculpt was the granite edging of sidewalks he’d scavenge from dumps surrounding the city. Shelomo was poor and lived in a tiny unheated walk up apartment with his wife Ruthie and their newborn Rami. He was just at the start of a long and fruitful career and was full of hope - a lucky man. Shelomo was also a survivor.
From the age of 13 Shelomo Selinger lived through nine concentration camps and was found on a pile of corpses at the end of the War. He woke up with severe amnesia. He did not even know his name or that he was Jewish until he was told. He was reborn, innocent and unfettered by the pain and memories of the Shoah. A free man, Shelomo traveled around Europe and through the sea with other survivors, eventually ending up in Israel where he fought for independence. To impress a young woman he created his first sculpture. His memory began to return and from then there was no stopping him.
In this film, we follow Shelomo Selinger through his daily routines, with his family and friends who all tell his story. From the first scene to the last Shelomo generously shares his feelings, secrets and wisdom. He shows us the intimate details of every aspect of his environment and his life. Shelomo is constantly scrubbing, cleaning and maintaining everything in his world. He never stops moving. He is always creating, helping and sharing from dawn to dusk. He is a force of nature, alive and brimming over with light and a mission to share his joy with the world. As this portrait of Shelomo Selinger is drawn, we see a man who fights valiantly against tremendous odds and comes out on top regardless. He fights for life that’s worth living and always has a ready smile.
Official Selection Phoenix Film festival
April 8 to 15, 2010
Official Selection
Phoenix
international
Film Festival
2010
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre was selected to compete at the RED ROCK Film Festival, Zion Canyon, Utah November 11 - 14, 2010.
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre was selected to compete at the FESTIVAL TEMPS D’IMAGES, Lisbon, November 11 - 14, 2010.
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre will be presented by NO FESTIVAL REQUIRED, Phoenix, Arizona.
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre was presented at the Cinémathèque Québécoise on September 29, 2010 and will be shown again on the 16th of December 2010.
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre has been awarded a “SPECIAL MENTION” by the jury at the festival November 14, 2010.
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre at the ROME Independent Film Festival March 18-24 2011
Shelomo Selinger Mémoire de Pierre at the International Festival of Audiovisual Programs in Biarritz 2010
© 2010 Berithfilms ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Avant-premiere December 1st 2009, Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme, Paris
