This January, Łukasz had the pleasure of meeting the incredible Carmel Tanaka — a gifted and empathetic queer, neurodivergent, “Jewpanese” (Jewish and Japanese) young woman from Canada. Carmel’s family story carries the weight of history: she has felt the generational impact of both the Holocaust and the Japanese internment camps in Canada. Now, she is preparing to visit Poland for the first time, accompanied by her friend Stefan. Currently, we are in the early stages of developing a film inspired by their journey. This means we’re working on building the story and considering the best ways to bring the project to life both creatively and financially.

The film will follow Carmel and Stefan as they travel to Białystok to retrace their grandparents’ footsteps. For Carmel, this journey is part of her Holocaust healing process, as she uncovers her grandmother’s roots in Białystok and learns about her remarkable survival story. Meanwhile, Stefan — a gay Austrian — will be confronting his family’s past, visiting the site where his grandfather once trained and worked as part of the Nazi expansion in Białystok. What begins as a simple road trip will certainly evolve into an emotional and transformative experience, one that bridges past and present in powerful ways.

We’re excited to continue working on this meaningful project, especially since it focuses so much on present Jewish life — not just the painful past, but also on building a brighter future. The characters are extremely diverse and deeply interesting, and we truly hope we can begin shooting this year. We look forward to sharing more updates as the journey unfolds.