Frederika Goldberger: Super Grandma

When his grandmother was feeling down, Sacha Goldberger took photos of her in a superhero costume -- and inspired a worldwide fan movement.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on November 19 2010

Photo by Sacha Goldberger

Frederika Goldberger is a real-life hero: Back in World War II, the Hungarian woman risked her own life to save ten of her Jewish friends, hiding them and moving them from place to place to keep them safe from Nazis. She was then forced by her country’s Communist regime to leave her homeland, and resettled in France.

Frederika is 91 years old now, and most of her loved ones have passed away. She was feeling down a few years ago—until her grandson, photographer Sacha Goldberger, suggested taking a series of surrealist photos of her. She agreed, and has now become known to the world as Super Mamika – “Super Grandma.”

Sacha shot his grandmother in a series of superhero poses: lifting a car to free a trapped dog; flying through the air; or posing as a 40’s-style pin-up model in cape, helmet, and leg warmers.

The photos were a hit, and when Sacha created a MySpace page for his grandmother, she received comments from admiring fans with messages like, “You’re the grandmother that I have dreamed of, would you adopt me?”

Frederika was elated that the photos had made people so happy, and the responses she received helped to boost her own spirits, too: since the photo shoot, Sasha claimed that she hadn’t shown the slightest trace of depression. Superheroes don’t get sad.

Check out the amazing gallery of Sacha’s photos on MyModernMet, or visit his own site (in French) for more details.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Weird,

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