IFFI Goa opener: Olga had added screening by audience demand

Olga, the opening film of the festival was the major attractions for all filmgoers in the iffi-Goa and directorate of the festival have to schedule repeat screening on demand.

The film is a adoption of Fernando Morais’ best seller of the same title chronicles the true life story of the German revolutionary Olga Benario Prestes from her youth in Munich to her romance with communist leader Luis Carlos Prestes and finally to her death in Gas chamber under Hitler’s Nazi regime. Olga was born in Jewish family in Munich, Germany, in 1908, and joined the communist youth Organization at the age of 15. In 1934, she was entrusted with guaranteeing safe return of Prestes to Brazil. While posing as husband and wife, the pair fell in love. After the failure of the communist revolution next year, Olga and Prestes were arrested and separated from each other. As an act of personal vengeance against Prestes, dictator Vargas had Olga, seven months pregnant, deported to Nazi Germany. On arrival she was taken to a Gestapo women’s prison. On November 27, 1936, exactly one year after the failed revolution, Anita Leocadia was born. In 1938, Olga was deported to a Nazi concentration camp and killed in 1942.

This is Jayme Mojardim’s first feature film. The study of an era, helping people to understand the past and the present, is a constant theme in his work.

Talking to the charming Ms. Camila Morgardo, the lead actress of the film, she said that, She was so deeply involved in personifying the character of the Olga that it took quite some time to come out of it. This experience has made her politically more conscious. She said that she was touched by the way the film was so enthusiastically received in her country and also in iffi-Goa.

The film has been awarded in Brazilian film festival of Miami & Jewish Film festival.

A report by Rajendra Joshi.