Rückkehr in die windige Stadt

“Our family has resided in five countries: firstly we were in Hungary, then Czechoslovakia for a short period of time, before becoming Hungarians again. Eventually, and all of a sudden, we were all equal and now we're all free.” These words, from the director's grandmother, provide an apt description of the tumultuous history of Košice. In 2013, Kristina Forbat returned to the city, prompted by curiosity about her family history, which in turn has the potential to shed light both on the cultural melting pot of Košice (or Kaschau as it was once known in German), as well as the intricate net of family destinies in a region where Slovaks, Hungarians, Germans and the city's sizeable Jewish community peacefully cohabited for generations. In fact right up until the previous century, with its wars and political turmoil that meant catastrophe for many. Kristina Forbat's film shows however, that there also remain grounds for hope. JG