Private Project

In the back of history - The lost villages of Masuria

In September of 2017 German writer and director Daniel Raboldt accompanied a group of German and Polish scientists, researchers and students into the forests of Masuria, Poland. The expedition aimed to find traces of the so-called "lost villages", left by the Masurians around 1945 by the end of the Second World War. Today only some of the old graveyards can be found deep in the woods of the beautiful Masurian landscape.
The documentary "In the back of history - The lost villages of Masuria" shows the researchers at their work in the historic archives and in the woods. What can we learn from the vanishing of the Masurians? Do we face similar problems today? The film dives deep into themes like the rise of nationalism and identity and uncovers the tragic end of a population that was asked one simple question in the early 20th century: Stay or Leave?

  • Daniel Raboldt
    Director
    A Living Dog, Furple Reign, The Molecular Biologist
  • Daniel Raboldt
    Writer
    A Living Dog, Furple Reign, The Molecular Biologist
  • Sabine Grabowski
    Producer
  • Nora Ebel
    Music
    A Living Dog, The Last Survivor
  • Oliver El-Fayoumy
    Key Cast
    "Narrator (German)"
  • Iza Gwizda
    Key Cast
    "Narrator (Polish)"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Im Rücken der Geschichte - Die verlorenen Dörfer von Masuren
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    36 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Poland
  • Language:
    English, German, Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Polish International Film Festival
    Warsaw
    Poland
    October 23, 2019
    Polish Premiere
    Winner: Best Documentary
Director Biography - Daniel Raboldt

Daniel Raboldt is a german writer / director who was born in Berlin in 1978 and grew up in Celle, Germany. He studied philosophy and German literature at Cologne University while already shooting short films.
Nowadays he makes a living as a writer, director, VFX artist and film lecturer in Duesseldorf, Germany. He won several international prizes for his shortfilms, documentaries, the web series "TubeHeads" and his first feature film "A Living Dog".

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