The pictures come at night

The film “The pictures come at night” accompanies the former forced laborer Czeslawa Wölfel in her last months of life.
The old lady lives in a retirement home near Bielefeld. It is difficult for her to come to terms with her new home. Nobody really has time. And certainly no time to listen. It would be worth listening to stories from more than 80 years of German-Polish life, in which only violence and unconditional love for their children were reliable figures.
Czeslawa was born in Poland in 1927, she would have had the opportunity to go to high school. Instead, however, her way led to Germany – into forced labor.
The film is shaped by Czeslawa’s relentless tales about her extraordinary, yet historically exemplary life. In turn, everyday observations are in the style of the Cinema Verité. The camera observes the family, who, despite great challenges, has maintained a loving attitude and their sense of humor. It is always close, but never judgmental. This was made possible by the filmmaker’s close relationship of trust with the family members. She has been friends with Czeslawa’s children for more than twenty years.