Private Project

Memories from Siberia

Memories from times when the cold froze the lives of people born in Siberia and found refugee in Brazil.

  • Leandro Cordeiro
    Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Memórias da Sibéria
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 2, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    Brazil
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    35mm, DV CAM
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Leandro Cordeiro

Leandro Cordeiro is a Brazilian documentary filmmaker and sound director. He has written and directed eight short films, screened in more than 10 countries and worked on more than 40 films as a sound director. His documentary "Renascer" (2015) was screened at FICMA festival in Spain, His documentary "A Casa Morta de Meus Avós" (2017) was screened at Encontros de Cinema de Viana do Castelo in Portugal. His documentary "Eu Volto ao Lado Deles" (2018) was screened at fórumdoc BH in Brazil and at the Koblenz documentary festival in Germany.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A significant portion of Brazil's population has descended from immigrants, shaping the country's history and culture. The author, driven by curiosity about their own German ancestry in Mariental, embarked on a research project. Their grandfather, Silvestre Hammershmidt, held the memories of his ancestors' arduous journey, but his battle with Alzheimer's prevented him from recounting the past. This compelled the author to explore their family's history through different mediums. They produced a short film called "My Grandparents' Dead House," highlighting the abandonment and loss associated with their childhood home. During their studies in Cinema, the author connected with Stephen Muller, another descendant of immigrants who shared valuable insight into the struggles faced by their ancestors in Russia. The discovery of mini DV tapes containing interviews with German immigrants from Siberia further enriched the author's research. These interviews, filmed in 2008, shed light on previously unknown aspects of German immigration. Given the strong German influence in Santa Catarina, with over a thousand immigrants settling in the state during the 19th and 20th centuries, the author aims to share this hidden part of history through a documentary.