EMMA KLOSE GORODKIN
I was born in 1996, in Copenhagen Denmark, in a very creative family, and in a Christian & Jewish family. I always knew that I wanted to tell stories. I have been writing stories since I was 7 years old, and since I got my first camera when I was 14, I have loved how stories can be told through pictures as well. Later on in my life I knew that I wanted to make films. The way pictures, sound and music can create feelings, is to me one of the most powerful things. Growing up with two different cultures, made me see the world in different ways. It also made me put a different perspective on things. As a kid I travelled around with my family and was always curious on life, what peoples stories are, and why they end up the way they do.
Previous experience:
I got my first internship at a photographer when I was 15, which made me realize even more that, that was the way I was going. At my last year at High School, I applied for another internship, which was this time a film company where I learned some of the very basic things in film. After high school, I went to the European Film College, where I had the courses;
Screenwriting, Producing, Lighting for films, Pictures and language and Creative development.
In 2017 I applied for a screenwriting course at the New York Film Academy, where I started in januray 2018. At the New York Film Academy I had the courses Feature writing workshop, Elements of dramatic narrative, and Business of Screenwriting. Not only are you going to learn how to write, you must also know how to sell an idea. Through the course we had to write a feature film at minimum 80 pages. The most important thing before writing a feature script is doing your research.
What year are we in?
What environment?
Who are the Characters ?
What is on stake?
What is the story?
Why do you want to tell this story?
is all things you need to ask yourself and think of before writing. But I must say, if you have an idea, or see something, just write it down, and maybe later on it will fit perfectly in a film. My three months in New York, really made me believe even more, that this is what I am going to do. In 2020 my documentary film A Jewish Woman's Story - The memories of my grandmother and great grandmother, premiered at the Danish Jewish Museum. You can read more abou the film here
A Jewish Woman's Story ---- The memories of my grandmother and great grandmother
About the film
The documentary is following two persons, mother and daughter, Ida (my great grandmother) and Inge (my grandmother). Their stories is told as two parallel stories, where the mother Ida tells about her memories before the war, during the war and the day they had to flee to Sweden, and when the war ended. In the beginning of the War Ida's second child was born, but no one wanted a baby on the boat, because if she cried, she might reveal them all. Ida had to leave her new born child in Denmark where she couldn't have contact with her in two years, until after the war. Part of the family was taking to the concentration camp Theresienstadt, where Ida sometimes received letters from. Ida, her husband Martin and Inge fled to Sweden in October 1943. While they were gone, Ida's neighbor's took care of their apartment and even watered their plants. The family was gathered again two years later, and she could finally see her child. They moved back in their apartment in Copenhagen. In 2018 it was 75 years ago since the Danish Jewish people fled to Sweden. My grandmother Inge and I, and our family decided to go back there, to see if we could find the house that they lived in. A trip which made her remember and a trip that was bringing many emotions and memories.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT & WHAT DO I HOPE ?
What is important, is that we keep learning from history, educate new generation, and become better as humans!
What is important is fighting against antisemitism and making sure history will never repeat itself and that no human should be in a position where they are forced to flee their country, because of, religion, ethnicity and so on.
My great grandmother is not here, but her voice is. I am lucky that I had the opportunity to make this film with my grandmother. I feel very lucky that I was able to invite my whole family to the premiere of this film. It was a day I will never forget.
Personally I hope to set an example for younger girls. Jewish girls. That they can do whatever they want. And nothing should stop them. Follow your dreams and your heart and it will lead to amazing things and memories.
Support Jewish Women! Support minorities and their work! Everything we do is made from the bottom of our heart, because we know how important it is to feel seen and heard!
The more I discover of my family's history, I find that I have a huge family, there were 30 people from my family that fled to Sweden in October 1943. Thanks to Silvia Goldbaum, who spend 14 years making the book "The Jews of Denmark in holocaust- life and death in Theresienstadt Ghetto" it has now been possible to read stories about my family and the life in the ghetto. There was 9 people from my family that was taken to Theresienstadt. 8 of them survived. I cried as I read "It is Breinings birthday. Ms Rotman brings flowers she picked. Buying them is not an option. Mrs Garodkin follows suit, and walks out to pick flowers".