Die Brieffreundin

Director Sarah Klewes is merely twelve years old when she meets writer Claretta Cerio, 65 years her senior, in Tuscany. They begin a pen friendship that lasts 15 years. Then Claretta dies. The world loses an exciting author – and Sarah loses a dear friend. She is left with a shoebox full of letters – and the feeling that Claretta therefore somehow still is there. With the letters in her luggage, she travels to Italy in 2022 to remember her friend – and dares to glimpse into the past.

In a mix of fictional scenes and documentary interviews, the portrait of a fascinating writer unfolds. Despite numerous strokes of fate, Claretta Cerio was independent, passionate and self-determined. It is the story of an exciting contemporary witness who found her own special way of dealing with death.

Source: 57th International Hof film festival 2023