Trinksaifen was home for us

Why this documentary?

Why did I want to make this documentary?

  • because the expulsion of the German population from Czechoslovakia is still a controversial topic today and I feel that my generation is still greatly affected by these events
  • because my own family „war“ story is very different and I wanted to hear a different viewpoint
  • as a contribution to a more general topic of identity and multicultural society
  • because the ladies in the documentary were interesting – in what they were saying and how they were saying it (Czech with a lovely German accent) – I have never heard anyone speak like that before!
  • because the region of the Ore mountains is beautiful and mysterious
  • because of all the people who encouraged and helped me 
  • and many other reasons…

Why did it take so long?

Good question. I came back from Kaye Mortley’s workshop in Phonurgia Nova in Arles in 2003, full of enthusiasm to make this documentary. I started the interviews in 2004. Unfortunately, Zdeněk Bouček, the original producer, as well as the „ladies“ died few years later. I kept thinking about the project and re-listening. When I listened to the recordings again in 2012 (there is about 20 hours of them and Barbara Kosíková will include them in the Rudné village archives), it seemed that I had an obligation to put the material together – as a thank you to the ladies and to everybody else who has helped me.