Watch Cafe Nagler

Café Nagler is a 2016 Israeli documentary film directed by Mor Kaplansky. The film is about one of Berlin’s most famous cafes, the Café Nagler, and its owners. Café Nagler was founded in 1923 and was a popular haunt for the intellectual and cultural elite of Berlin. The café was known for its avant-garde atmosphere and was frequented by the likes of Albert Einstein, Hannah Arendt, and Marlene Dietrich.

The film starts by showing how the café must have looked in its heyday using old photographs and interviews with people who used to visit the café. The film then focuses on the story of the café's owners, the Nagler family, and their experiences in Berlin during the 1930s.

The Naglers were a Jewish family who owned and operated Café Nagler. Their café was a popular spot for intellectuals and artists, and it was seen as a symbol of the vibrant Jewish culture in Berlin. In 1933, when Hitler came to power, the Naglers, like many other Jewish families, realized that they were no longer safe in Germany. They decided to flee the country and move to Palestine.

The film traces the journey of the Nagler family from Germany to Palestine. It shows how they adapted to their new life in a country that was not their own. It also shows how they managed to keep their café legacy alive by opening a new Café Nagler in Tel Aviv.

The film then fast-forwards to the present day, where the director, Mor Kaplansky, is seen searching for information about the café and its owners. She talks to people who knew the café and the Nagler family and tries to piece together their story. Along the way, she uncovers some surprising facts about the café, such as its close association with the Nazi party in the 1930s.

Café Nagler contains a lot of archival footage, old photographs, and interviews with people who knew the café and its owners. The film has a nostalgic and somewhat melancholic tone, as it looks back at a lost era of Jewish culture in Berlin. At the same time, the film is also hopeful, as it shows how the Nagler family managed to overcome adversity and build a new life in a new country.

One of the interesting aspects of the film is its focus on the idea of memory and its importance in preserving culture and history. The film shows how memories of the café and its owners were passed down through generations of patrons and their families. It also shows how the Nagler family was able to preserve their own memories of their life in Berlin and the café.

Overall, Café Nagler is a compelling and well-made documentary that offers a unique perspective on Jewish life in Berlin during the 1930s. The film is nostalgic, melancholic, and hopeful all at once, and it offers a valuable insight into the importance of memory in preserving culture and history.