“INKED” Documentary Wins Claims Conference's Film Contest

Today, The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) announced the winner of the Emerging Filmmaker Contest focused on the Holocaust. Out of 35 submissions from 9 countries, Director Dara Bratt took the first prize with her documentary, Inked: Our Stories Remarked. The film explores the world of children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors who process the intergenerational trauma wrought by the atrocities of the Holocaust on their families through tribute tattoos.

Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, said, “This documentary provides us an opportunity to go deeply into the often overlooked, long-term pain and grief the Shoah continues to cause to descendants of Holocaust survivors. Are tattoos an appropriate way for children and grandchildren to process this trauma? What do they tell us about those who survived and what do they tell us about those who are descendants? Film is a critical medium in the process of coming to terms with the legacy of the Shoah, and it can reach younger generations where they are, making it an important element in our global efforts to support Holocaust education.”

Inked delves into the world of tattooing to heal intergenerational trauma – specifically those who ink their bodies with commemorative Holocaust tattoos. Bratt and her team traveled across North America to hear from second and third generation Holocaust survivor families who have tattooed their bodies to have a permanent physical reminder of their loved ones’ experience and loss. The tattoos are symbolic of not just the Holocaust experience – such as having a parent or grandparent’s concentration camp numbers tattooed – but also more interpretive, poetic remembrances like a horse representing the love one subject’s grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, had for the animal.

Dara Bratt, the film’s Director, said, “I am honored for Inked to have been recognized in this contest by the Claims Conference. I deeply appreciate the resilience exhibited by the subjects I interviewed. Their determination to be recognized as survivors rather than victims really resonates with me. Despite the alarming rise of antisemitism, they refuse to be intimidated. Their commitment extends beyond personal courage; they feel a deep responsibility to voice the narratives of survival passed down from their grandparents, ensuring these crucial histories are remembered. In the realm of filmmaking, the profound importance of storytelling extends beyond mere narration; it becomes a powerful conduit for preserving memories and safeguarding our collective histories.”

Some of those featured in the film had the blessing of their survivor family member, while others concede that their decision would make their loved ones “roll over in their graves.” Either way, Inked explains the deep connection second and third generations still feel to the pain and suffering the Holocaust inflicted, and the symbolic strength they find personally through their tattoos. One pair of brothers who had their grandfather’s Auschwitz number tattooed said, “I’m Jewish. When you inked my grandfather, you inked all of us.”

Greg Schneider, Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference, said, “The Holocaust ended 80 years ago, but the pain and loss persists. The overarching message of Inked is that the Holocaust had, and continues to have, a devastating impact on survivors and their families. Families are using tattooing to help heal, process and elevate survivors’ testimony of survival so that it is never forgotten. We are thrilled to provide this award to Dara for her insightful documentary.”

The jury for this year’s contest included:

• Jess Kwan, Vice President Concordia Fellowship
• Pnina Halfon Lang, Executive Director, CoPro – The Israeli Content Marketing Foundation
• Yael Melamede, Co-Founder, Salty Features
• Massimiliano Nardulli, Curator, Programmer, Artistic Director

More information about the 2023 contest, including the runners up, can be found at Film.Claimscon.org.

Applications for the 2024 Claims Conference Emerging Filmmaker Contest are currently open.