Inherited Paths – A Documentary on Motherlands

Migration Department

Project head: Dr. Jonna Rock

Running time March 2026 until May 2027
Status Current project

Building on our research, “Inherited Paths” follows mother-daughter pairs who have acquired Bulgarian, German and Italian ancestral citizenship.

Guiding research questions

Our research project’s in-depth qualitative interviews have demonstrated that processes related to racialization have turned out to be a crucial experience for the interlocutors across the three case studies. Race as a category encompasses notions of privilege, stigma and serves as the very concept for understanding belonging and the right to return to the homeland of one’s ancestors. The documentary film illuminates how our protagonists navigate gendered and racialized processes, as well as perceptions of privilege and stigma.
“Inherited Paths” make visible mother-daughter relationships in Bulgaria, Germany and Italy – and in a contemporary European context marked by growing divisions and uncertainties.
The film project is fundamentally dialogic and participatory, positioning protagonists as active co-creators who shape their own narratives through feedback and reflective conversations. This co-creative ethos extends to audiences through stakeholder pre-screenings, reflecting intersectional experiences during the film in the making.
Dr. Jonna Rock, Project lead

Some people claim citizenship in countries like Germany, Bulgaria, and Italy because their ancestors came from there. This public engagement film project, “Inherited Paths” follows the experiences of mothers and daughters who currently have Bulgarian, German and Italian citizenship because their ancestors many generations ago originated from these countries. The film portrays intimate stories of the mother-daughter pairs, illuminating how they navigate privilege and stigma in their homelands, while reflecting on specific political policies that have allowed access to citizenship in response to past family (hi)stories of displacement and hardship because of one’s “inherited paths”. Fundamentally, with this film project, we make our ongoing research accessible beyond academic circles, inspiring reflection on the meanings and the implications of one’s family (hi)stories for belonging today. “Inherited Paths” make visible the mother-daughter relationships in Bulgaria, Germany and Italy – and in a contemporary European context marked by growing divisions and uncertainties.

Funding: Volkswagen Foundation (Third-party funding)