Susette's Story
A narrative documentary
by filmmaker Rod Martel
Susette's Story
a narrative documentary
by filmmaker Rod Martel
Susette's Story
A narrative documentary
by filmmaker Rod Martel
The heart of a grandmother
A grandson is obsessed with finding out what happened to his grandmother in Nazi Germany.
Like so many refugee families from Nazi Germany, Rod Martel's experience was typical, if that is the word you can use for the horror visited upon a generation of German Jews. Most of his relatives were murdered, but his parents escaped to start a normal life in the United States. His fraternal grandparents fled to Australia, but he always wondered exactly what had happened to his maternal grandmother, Susette, (ex-wife of cinematographer/director Karl Freund) who had been swallowed up by the insidious Nazi war machine.
Supposedly she had died of typhus at Ravensbrück concentration camp. With the help of two researchers, Rod and his wife, accompany 93 year old Gerda, (Susette's daughter) back to Berlin.
Follow them on their journey into the past as they discover a truth even more evil than they had imagined in their quest to infuse meaning into a world that seems to defy logic and decency.
The heart of a grandmother
A grandson is obsessed with finding out what happened to his grandmother in Nazi Germany.
Like so many refugee families from Nazi Germany, Rod Martel's experience was typical, if that is the word you can use for the horror visited upon a generation of German Jews. Most of his relatives were murdered, but his parents escaped to start a normal life in the United States. His fraternal grandparents fled to Australia, but he always wondered exactly what had happened to his maternal grandmother, Susette, (ex-wife of cinematographer/director Karl Freund) who had been swallowed up by the insidious Nazi war machine.
Supposedly she had died of typhus at Ravensbrück concentration camp. With the help of two researchers, Rod and his wife, accompany 93 year old Gerda, (Susette's daughter) back to Berlin.
Follow them on their journey into the past as they discover a truth even more evil than they had imagined in their quest to infuse meaning into a world that seems to defy logic and decency.
The heart of a grandmother
A grandson is obsessed with finding out what happened to his grandmother in Nazi Germany.
Like so many refugee families from Nazi Germany, Rod Martel's experience was typical, if that is the word you can use for the horror visited upon a generation of German Jews. Most of his relatives were murdered, but his parents escaped to start a normal life in the United States. His fraternal grandparents fled to Australia, but he always wondered exactly what had happened to his maternal grandmother, Susette, (ex-wife of cinematographer/director Karl Freund) who had been swallowed up by the insidious Nazi war machine.
Supposedly she had died of typhus at Ravensbrück concentration camp. With the help of two researchers, Rod and his wife, accompany 93 year old Gerda, (Susette's daughter) back to Berlin.
Follow them on their journey into the past as they discover a truth even more evil than they had imagined in their quest to infuse meaning into a world that seems to defy logic and decency.
Director Rod Martel
Rod is the grandson of German born cinematographer/director Karl Freund (Metropolis, The Mummy). He came to filmmaking late, with his first film Susette’s Story completed in 2013 at the age of 63. His second film, Lost in Berlin, is the result of 7 years work and a dedicated production team, many of whom volunteered their time or worked for a “stipend” to complete the project.
Rod is happily married to Colleen, together, having raised 7 children in a blended family. He continues his private practice as a Licensed Psychologist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“We humans tend to use language in extreme dichotomous terms. We love or hate; are guilty or not guilty; make good decisions or bad ones. One betrays or is faithful…..but the reality is that life is not generally lived at the extremes, but in that in-between space of subdued grays and shadows.”
–Rod Martel
Director Rod Martel
Rod is the grandson of German born cinematographer/director Karl Freund (Metropolis, The Mummy). He came to filmmaking late, with his first film Susette’s Story completed in 2013 at the age of 63. His second film, Lost in Berlin, is the result of 7 years work and a dedicated production team, many of whom volunteered their time or worked for a “stipend” to complete the project.
Rod is happily married to Colleen, together, having raised 7 children in a blended family. He continues his private practice as a Licensed Psychologist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“We humans tend to use language in extreme dichotomous terms. We love or hate; are guilty or not guilty; make good decisions or bad ones. One betrays or is faithful…..but the reality is that life is not generally lived at the extremes, but in that in-between space of subdued grays and shadows.”
–Rod Martel
Director Rod Martel
Rod is the grandson of German born cinematographer/director Karl Freund (Metropolis, The Mummy). He came to filmmaking late, with his first film Susette’s Story completed in 2013 at the age of 63. His second film, Lost in Berlin, is the result of 7 years work and a dedicated production team, many of whom volunteered their time or worked for a “stipend” to complete the project.
Rod is happily married to Colleen, together, having raised 7 children in a blended family. He continues his private practice as a Licensed Psychologist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“We humans tend to use language in extreme dichotomous terms. We love or hate; are guilty or not guilty; make good decisions or bad ones. One betrays or is faithful…..but the reality is that life is not generally lived at the extremes, but in that in-between space of subdued grays and shadows.”
–Rod Martel
Martel Productions, LLC is a small production company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The driving force behind the organization is Rod Martel, the grandson of Cinematographer/Director Karl W. Freund. Martel Productions has produced two films to date: Susette’s Story and Lost in Berlin.
Martel Productions, LLC is a small production company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The driving force behind the organization is Rod Martel, the grandson of Cinematographer/Director Karl W. Freund. Martel Productions has produced two films to date: Susette’s Story and Lost in Berlin.
Martel Productions, LLC is a small production company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The driving force behind the organization is Rod Martel, the grandson of Cinematographer/Director Karl W. Freund. Martel Productions has produced two films to date: Susette’s Story and Lost in Berlin.