Wesley Swims

Wesley Höllenreiner is 14 years old. And he is Sinto. In the sum-
mer of 2024, he will travel to the Auschwitz Memorial. 80 years ago,
Wesley’s great-grandfather Hugo Höllenreiner was interned in Aus-
chwitz as a child. He survived with his parents and siblings. An esti-
mated 500,000 Sinti and Roma were murdered by the Nazis. Four
thousand three hundred of them in just one night, from August 2 to
3, 1944, in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. As an adult, Hugo Höl-
lenreiner swam against the current in his hometown of Ingolstadt
– in the Danube, as well as in his commitment to the rights of Sinti
and Roma. Wesley wants to know what his great-grandfather had to
experience in Auschwitz and how he can continue his mission.

Director: Adrian Oeser; Cinematography: Toni Müller, Adrian Oeser;
Editing: Adrian Oeser; Grading: Stephan Wagner; Music: Max Clouth; Sound Desig:n Jonny; Graphics: Simon Walter; Speaker: Gergana Muskalla; Protagonists: Wesley Höllenreiner, Laura Höllenreiner, Giuliano Höllenreiner, Sheela Josef, Romani Rose