Ingelore (Frank Stiefel, 2009): USA

Reviewed by Dorothy Littlejohn at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Ingelore is a part of the Real-Markable stories series. The story of a deaf woman growing up at the time of the holocaust, actress Hanna Schwamborn tells Ingelor’s story with strong fortitude and deep appreciation for the opportunities she was given in life. Ingelore is not a complainer and seeks no sympathy for the predicaments she had as a deaf child nor a jewish child.
Director Frank Stiefel’s first bout at the helm as director/filmmaker is a successfully produced re-enactment of Inelore’s life story. Previously Mr. Stiefel was producer of several TV shows: Two Roads to the Taupo 1000 (TV documentary) (executive producer) 2007,
Two Roads to Baja (TV documentary) executive producer) 2002, A Stoner’s Life (short) (producer) 1999 and Two Weddings (documentary short) (executive producer).

In the story Ingelor comes truly alive when she can finally communicate through learning to speak and using sign language as well as lip reading. When her family moves to the US she really appreciates her “freedom” and her family as it grows in her new country.