Sent : Thursday, March 15 (Holland)
Subject : open oog open ik

Hallo Shirley,

You probably don’t remember me, but still I feel the need to responde. What a great, impressive documentary, your ‘open Eye – open I’. I was sick at home and saw it by accident, en watch also the ‘repetition’ on Sunday again.

Chapaux

Be well, kind regards, Edwin


Subject : Docu Open Oog Open Ik
Sent : Monday, March 12 (Holland)

Dear Shirley,

What a beautiful and moving documentary you have made! I saw him yesterday by the Jewish Channel. And how recognizably is the huge silence of a parent who doesn’t want to burden his or her child with sorrow. But also the silence of the child who doesn’t want to hurt the parent.
My mother was in hiding during World War II and never could talk or wanted to talk about it. What also stroke me yesterday with your documentary, are the similarities between the children of survivors. I have friends in Israel, with a same background, and then half a word is sufficient. It is all so recognizably. And isn’t it delightfully to hide behind a lens, cloth, book or a musical instrument, like with me.
Your e-mail address I got through your web-site. You make beautiful work.

Kind regards, Niels


Sent : Sunday, March 11 (Holland)
Subject : open oog open ik

Today saw it the first time – beautiful!!!!!!
Keep on going like that!
Greeting, Maria


Sent : Saturday, March 10 (Holland)
Subject : seen documentary

Dear Shirley Barenholz

Thanks for the beautiful documentary that you have made. I saw him yesterday March 9th on the television and after it I have been crying for hours. I was deeply moved by the guts with which you started this journey and was overwhelmed by a deep feeling of compassion for the desperation, desire, fear, impossibility to deal with men’s deepest emotions, and endless longing for contact with those from who we were born.
Keeping on living in infinite variation. Seeing it in the eyes. Wanting to see. To invite, that what you experience as your own imperfection, as a muse at the table invite and examine instead of judging it. Beautiful. Me it has enriched and for a little while brought me back in contact with that which always slumbers through the daily things.

Love, Lotte


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Holland)
Subject : Open oog open ik

Hallo Shirley,

I don’t know exactly why I feel the urge to write you, but I wanted to let you know dat your story ‘open Eye – open I’ – just seen on NL2 – has touched me enormous. Your father, your friends and you are beautiful people. Thanks for sharing this human portrait of you and lots of success with the exhibition,

Dalia


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Belgium)
Subject : thank you

dear Shirley,

just today i saw an impressive doc. "open oog open ik" on Dutch TV.
thank you for sharing this with us,
is there also a possibility that we are able to see your art in
antwerpen-belgium???

greetings, Jan


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Holland)
Subject : documentaire

Hallo,

I just wanted to let you know that I just saw your documentary at the Joodse Omroep. I
I cried tears ‘with spouts’ over all of you…..fantastic. You are a great and beautiful woman, also your father.
Thank you for the docuemantary, too bad that I don’t know you personally.

Kind regards and shalom, Mascha


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Holland)
Subject : Open oog open ik.

Dear Ms Barenholz,

After seeing the broadcasting of the Joodse Omroep, I felt the urge to contact you. The documentary was very impressive. Not only your craftmanship as a photographer, but most of all your eye for detail and sincerity with which you approach this delicate subject is admirable. I think that’s why you succeeded in the end getting the others to work with you on that important exhibition. Will this exhibition come also to Holland? Kindly regards, Alex


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Holland)
Subject : open oog open ik

Dear Miss Barenholz,

This morning I saw your documentary ‘open Can, open I’ by coincidence. I never watch television in the morning. But I did this morning.
With emotion, recognition, respect and admiration, I watched. It is your story, but also my story, the comparison is that I’m busy to come from behind my shadow and you from behind your camera.

I was very impressed by the courage for the life and inner beauty of Kinneret: it’s about love, for yourself.

Nevertheless, I have now a tool to transform my loaded past to the light. I am going to search for the possibilities to express myself.

Many thanks; it is the answer to a prayer. Coincidence doesn’t exist, it ‘falls’ to me.

Kind regards, Joke


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Holland)
Subject : ``Open Eye - Open I ``

Shalom Shirley and Kinneret and Chaya….

This morning I was so lucky to see your beautiful artwork on television! What a beautiful impressive way you found to show and share with me this transformation, in which I recognize myself so well! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Toda raba for "open Eye - open I".
Kind regards, Sjoerd


Sent : Friday, March 9 (Holland)
Subject : Film

He Shirley

What a beautiful film! With humor, but also very moving -I have really watch it with tears in my eyes. Whose choice was it to put you ‘central’, that wasn’t the original idea?
But it was a brilliant idea; turns out very good. Scary also, because you put yourself in a very vulnerable position. But really a beautiful film.
Just a tip: now the film has been on television, Toronto is no world premiere anymore, at the most an international premiere. And if it is broadcasted by ZDF before, it will be only a Canadian premiere. Not so important, but festivalmanagers are always particularly sensitively about this. So pay attention, they want always world premieres.

Eddy


Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 (Germany)
Subject: Feedback

Dear Mrs. Barenholz,

yesterday I saw the german version of the documentary about you and your work "Gestern im Gepäck".
I was really impressed. It was nice to watch the development of your work and to see how people share your thoughts and bring in new ideas which emphasize the projekt even more. I think it´s very brave to let the camera getting so close. Not only Kinneret and the others, also you.
Allthough you kept on saying in the film that you locked your feelings. I got the impression to get to know you and your feelings well.
To me it is allways nice to see dedicated people how follow their wishes and try to live their ideals. While living daily life it often happens that you forget about these things.

Jewish life and history is present in a way but also happens to be forgotten.
After seeing this film and watching your photos from your webpage I want to travel to israel even more.

All the best for you and your work, Cordelia

Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 (Germany)
Subject: Thank You for the Documentary

Dear Shirley Barenholz,

thank you for your great docoumentary. Specialy your visit in Berlin remembered me to a moment of my own personal history: A few years ago a grand-uncle of me visited first time after shoa his place of birth - Berlin. He is living in Israel. When we found the house he lived with his parents and his brother I felt a mood maybe similiar to the situation when you have been in the street of your fathers house. Like your father my grand-uncle started to cry. But there were more then tears for the past or for his emotions. For years I was looking for words to describe this moment. Now I´m shure that there are no. There are only pictures. The pictures of your documentary.

Friend of you told you that you have to take care for yourself. She´s very right. You´re a wonderful artist. Thank you for showing a way to live today and tomorrow talking about past and presence in your warm and objective way.

Thanks, micha


Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 (Switzerland)
Subject: Gestern im Gepäck ZDF doku

Dear Madame Barenholz

I never saw such a strong documentary, I`can not find the right words..........this film made me cry, I thank you and your friends for open your self to make such a strong work.
Please ecuse my bad English, I live in the italien part of Switzerland, in a little village, where Hermann Hesse and Meret Oppenheim spent a lot of here life time.

When ever you are in the south of Switzerland, you are invited guest in my bed + breakfast .

All the best thank you

Adriano


Sent : Monday, April 23, 2007 (Germany)
Subject : your documentary-is love

I just saw your movie with kinnert and the whole story of `moving to the future´-it touched me and i found myself with tears running down my cheaks...but it were no tears just filled with pain-it was a lot of hope and true feelings of human beeings puttin` their heads together-creating for good and meeting each other deeply... and a movie telling of love and strength and dooing something to `move to the future´-thank you ... :-)
lovely greetings from mira shirel and kerstin