Meet New Day: Charles Abelmann
I am a lifelong educator who has worked in international development for many years and has led both public and private schools. Over time, my work expanded into directing and producing documentary films that explore cultural and historical themes, including English Hustle, which has also been part of this collection since I joined in 2022. Alongside filmmaking, I am an ICF-certified executive coach supporting educators and those working in nonprofit and government sectors. Storytelling—through education, coaching, and film—has always been central to my work, especially stories that uncover hidden histories, amplify overlooked voices, and invite deeper reflection.
I am thrilled to have two films added to the New Day collection: Call Me Waya and Shifting Paths. Call Me Waya centers on an outsider Cuban artist in his 80s, telling the story of his life struggles through his art, his own words, and the perspectives of those who know him. The film also highlights the role of Sandra Levinson, Director of the Center for Cuban Studies in New York, and her long-standing support of artists like Waya. Shifting Paths tells the story of my family and the loss of a pharmaceutical business founded by my grandfather in Frankfurt, Germany in 1933. Tracing events from 1933 onward, the film explores privilege, loss, resilience, and my personal journey of discovering this history.
I first met the Cuban artist Waya in 2013 during my initial visit to Cuba with a group of educators. I was deeply impressed by his work and stayed in touch over the years. When I began making films, I reached out to him and his family to see if they would allow me the honor of telling his story. Shifting Paths grew out of my desire to make use of extraordinary family archive materials and to understand what happened to my family in 1933. My grandfather invented a product in 1920 that is still sold all over Germany—and many other places—yet few people know its origins or the forced sale of his company. The film became a journey of discovery that feels urgently relevant today.
Both films offered moments that were profoundly moving. In Call Me Waya, we interviewed the artist’s adult children, including one who had never had a relationship with her father. Hearing the contrasting perspectives of his children was incredibly powerful, and the film became a story of love and loss that we deeply felt while making it. For Shifting Paths, I had remarkable access to archives in Germany, including time spent at the Evonik archive (formerly Degussa), the firm that took over my family’s company. The first German screening took place at Evonik before showing at the Frankfurt Jewish Museum. It was powerful to share this not-glorious history with current employees and witness the company actively owning its past.