The empty tomb

Tens of thousands of human remains from former colonies are still stored in German museums. It is still unclear how they can be identified and traced back. "The Empty Grave" follows two families on their arduous search for their ancestors: In southern Tanzania, young lawyer John Mbano and his wife Cesilia follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, who was executed by the German colonial army over 100 years ago. His ancestor's skull was taken to Germany for racist "research purposes"; the family is still haunted by this pain today. Felix and Ernest Kaaya are in a similar situation: in northern Tanzania, they are fighting for the return of their ancestor's remains and are travelling to the metropolis of Dar es Salaam to do so. Both families wrestle with the thicket of German and Tanzanian bureaucracy, but also receive support from activists such as Mnyaka Sururu Mboro and Konradin Kunze, who are creating visibility for the topic in Germany. With their help, the Mbanos are finally received at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, and then even Federal President Steinmeier comes to their hometown to apologise for the suffering inflicted. However, the grave is still empty. In their film, the German-Tanzanian directing duo Agnes Lisa Wegner and Cece Mlay tell of the traces and traumas that the former German colonial rule has left behind in Tanzanian families and communities to this day - and of the strength and self-empowerment of the bereaved, who are stubbornly campaigning for a full investigation. "The Empty Grave" sheds light on a chapter of German history that has hardly been illuminated (also in film) and thus provides an important article for the long overdue reappraisal of German colonial crimes.