Twice Stolen (documentary)
About the Director
Hannah is a documentary filmmaker from London, UK. They graduated from the National Film & Television School (UK), with an MA in Directing Documentary. They have made documentaries for UK Broadcasters, including the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and Channel 5. Including BAFTA-winning Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family. Hannah has also made several independent short documentaries that have been screened at numerous festivals globally including Sheffield DocFest, Kendal Mountain Festival, Jerusalem International Film Festival, and UK Jewish Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Documentary, at the Royal Television Society Student Television Awards 2022 for their short documentary, Last Orders.
Synopsis
After WWII, the Allied forces gathered objects and artworks stolen, displaced, and looted by the Nazis and their collaborators. They invited claimants to recover what was rightfully theirs. Into this world steps Mimara, an envoy of Tito’s Yugoslavia there to represent his government’s efforts to restitute stolen art. Mimara, claimed 166 artworks purportedly looted from Yugoslavia by the Nazis. By the time the Americans discovered that these claims were erroneous, Mimara – and the objects – had disappeared.
Director’s Statement
I was first introduced to Ante Topic Mimara’s story in October 2021 by Ariela Braunschweig, the film’s producer. I was instantly fascinated by Mimara’s audacious theft at the Munich Central Collection Point and the rumours of his various escapades. However, my fascination quickly turned to outrage at the lack of attention or resolution this matter has received over the past 80 years. The issue of restitution continues to be contentious, with ongoing efforts by governments, museums, and advocacy groups to research provenance, facilitate restitution claims, and promote transparency in the handling of looted art. This motivated me to make the film and to apply to this competition, as I felt Claims Conference to be a natural home for this story.