Jakob the Liar

"When all hope was lost, he invented it."

Sep 24 1999 PG-13 2h 0m
Drama, War

In 1944 Poland, a Jewish shop keeper named Jakob is summoned to ghetto headquarters after being caught out after curfew. While waiting for the German Kommondant, Jakob overhears a German radio broadcast about Russian troop movements. Returned to the ghetto, the shopkeeper shares his information with a friend and then rumors fly that there is a secret radio within the ghetto.

Plot

In 1944 Poland, a Jewish shop keeper named Jakob is summoned to ghetto headquarters after being caught out near curfew. While waiting for the German Kommondant, Jakob overhears a German radio broadcast about Russian troop movements. Returned to the ghetto, the shopkeeper shares his information with a friend and then rumors fly that there is a secret radio within the ghetto. Jakob uses the chance to spread hope throughout the ghetto by continuing to tell favorable tales of information from "his secret radio." Jakob, however, has a real secret in that he is hiding a young Jewish girl who escaped from a camp transport train. A rather uplifting and slightly humorous film about World War II Jewish Ghetto life.

Written by

Jurek Becker, Peter Kassovitz, Didier Decoin

Directed by

Peter Kassovitz

Production Countries

United States of America, Hungary, France

Production Companies

Kasso Productions, Blue Wolf, Columbia Pictures, Global Medien KG

Languages

English

Awards

2 wins & 3 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
18,320
Average Rating
6.5 out of 10
Metascore
40
Popularity
NA