Filmmaker/film historian Felix Moeller’s documentary, Forbidden Films, The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film, examines the dark legacy of films made in Germany’s Third Reich and the public’s growing interest in them.
From Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” and Veit Harlan’s anti-Semitic “Jew Süss” to virtually unknown films, the documentary analyses the ideological messages of 40 out of 1,200 Nazi-produced movies that survived the regime.
Although their racist, anti-Semitic and incendiary content keeps them banned from public screening in Germany and many other countries, a number of these films have achieved cult status on the Internet. “Should these films be made freely available?” “Do they still pose a threat to civil society?” The controversy is gaining momentum, especially today when the original copies and negatives are disintegrating.
FORBIDDEN FILMS: The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film I Film Forum. Wed May 13 – Tue May 19. All Tickets Free of Charge.