Films by Jana Briesner

Germany 2020, 16 min
by Nele Dehnenkamp

Five years ago, Hanan would never have dreamed that she would now be a swimming teacher. Fleeing IS from northern Iraq, in 2015 she crossed the Mediterranean with her family in a rubber dinghy. The boat filled with water, and Hanan couldn’t swim.She has an instant understanding with children who are afraid of water. Images of the vast blue sea and the fear of drowning are etched into her memory. Now living in Wolfsburg, Germany, she’s determined to have her younger brother learn to swim before h

Germany 2018, 29 min
by Nele Dehnenkamp

Elderly residents of the LGBT-friendly Julie Roger Home in Frankfurt enjoy visits from male strippers, baking transgender Christmas cookies and Sunday dance events with an emphasis on spring fever. At the elderly home, seniors of all sexual orientations are welcomed to express their sexuality during the last days of their lives. The short documentary WE WILL SURVIVE observes the funny, heart-warming and at times delicate everyday life at Julie Roger Home.