On January 20, 2026 the Israeli filmmaker, queer activist, and producer of the project “The Hebrews/Ha Ivrim” visited Belongings to present and discuss his latest film, “Outsider.” Freud.”
Before the filmscreening in the evening at Kinobar Prager Frühling, Yair Qedar held a master class and career talk about his project, “The Hebrews.” The PhD students were invited to ask questions about his creative and artistic journey, gaining an intimate understanding of what it means to work as a producer and director. Attendees also had the opportunity to watch clips from his films. We discussed how he brings the materiality of Jewish history and culture to life in his films and what cinematic techniques he uses to make Jewish history tangible and experiential.
Yair Qedar, Photo by Carolin Heymann-Serota
In the evening, the film was screened at Prager Frühling in the presence of the director. This was followed by a Q&A session moderated by Carolin Heymann-Serota, who had invited Yair Qedar and also organized the master class. Qedar spoke about the archival research involved in locating film material in various archives, as well as the newly digitized collection of Marie Bonaparte’s home videos. He also discussed how the train, as an animated object, serves as a symbol and metaphor in the film, playing a central role in Freud’s thinking and work.
Photo by Yair Qedar
In relation to the Belongings research focus, questions were raised about his decision to make the experience of being an outsider a key theme of the film and about Freud’s collecting practices. Another topic of particular interest was the film’s animations, especially those depicting Freud’s dreams and objects from his collections. With regard to the IRTG’s interests, it was especially illuminating to learn how Yair Qedar reconstructed the precise appearance of Freud’s lost study in order to recreate and animate it.
Photo by Oliver Krause
Photo by Oliver Krause
A glimpse of the film:
A journey into the life and work of Sigmund Freud in four acts, combining animation, dreams, and insights from leading psychoanalysts. It explores Freud’s experiences of marginalization as a Jew in Vienna during Hitler’s rise and how these shaped his theories and personal life. Through an intimate lens, the film reveals new dimensions of Freud’s legacy, focusing on his impact on psychoanalysis, Judaism, and the power dynamics of being an outsider.
The film is part of the award-winning film series Ha’Ivrim – The Hebrews, which creatively presents the lives of important Jewish personalities and has been shown repeatedly on Israeli television.