Documentary / 52 min / 2006
Director: Dieter Auner
Producer: Dieter Auner
Distributor: Ikandi Productions
Logline: Leaving Transylvania documents the exodus of the Transylvanian Saxons from Romania and creates a universal theme worth reflecting on: the disorientation of individuals experiencing their cultures in decline.
Website: www.leavingtransylvania.com
Synopsis: After the collapse of Communism in Romania, thousands of ethnic Germans, the so-called Transylvanian Saxons, migrated from Transylvania to Germany. The exodus continued year after year, wiped villages empty and endangered the 800 years old heritage. The young Saxons were eager to leave Romania dreaming of a prosperous future in the West. For the elderly however, migration was a traumatic experience. The documentary explores this events seen trough the eyes of an elderly couple from Arbegen / Agirbiciu and follows their preparations to leave a beautiful home behind.