JoyDrops focuses on documentary shorts that are eligible for awards and emphasize joy, contrasting with a genre often filled with sadness. Good News Network is working with JoyDrops to highlight these films and interview their creators. Ora DeKornfeld shared with GNN that when her grandfather turned 99, she felt it was time to finally record his story. Despite her repeated requests over the years, he had always declined. He was a formal and private person who rarely spoke about his past in Hungary. DeKornfeld realized she needed to find a more creative approach to this project.
Her idea became The Grandfather Puzzle, which is part of GNN’s JoyDrops series. Her grandfather had a castle, a baronial title, and a background in Hungary that he chose not to discuss. He did enjoy jigsaw puzzles, so she decided to photograph his childhood castle and turn that image into a puzzle. She then returned to Baltimore, hoping this would help bridge the gap in their relationship. The visit was unexpected in many ways. When she arrived, the entire town welcomed the baroness with gifts and speeches, which she found both overwhelming and amusing. However, no one spoke about the reasons her family had left Hungary.
DeKornfeld aimed for the film to acknowledge the heavy impact of the Holocaust on her grandfather’s life while also ensuring that it didn’t solely focus on loss. She wanted to avoid reducing the Holocaust story to only one of victimhood. The puzzle did not manage to bring out his memories; he passed away in August, a few months after the film’s debut, without ever watching it. Nevertheless, DeKornfeld felt that creating the film brought her closer to him. She noted the irony in needing to travel far to feel a connection. After his death, she realized she had no regrets regarding their relationship.
She hopes viewers understand that everyone has loved ones they wish to connect with more deeply, but sometimes it is not possible. DeKornfeld transitioned from video journalism, which often tackled serious topics, to making her first personal documentary with The Grandfather Puzzle. She also co-directed the short documentary Stalin’s Boys. She believes humor can be a bold choice in art and noted that it often gets avoided. DeKornfeld expressed the desire for more documentaries to incorporate surprising elements. She appreciates JoyDrops for promoting films that deal with real issues while also showcasing the absurd and humorous aspects of life. She is pleased to see JoyDrops supporting that kind of storytelling.
What do you think about the role of humor in documentaries?
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Source: Good News Network, by Gabriel Kinder