Verbotene Filme

"The hidden legacy of Nazi Film"

Mar 6 2014 N/A 1h 34m

Documentary

Between 1933 and 1945 roughly 1200 films were made in Germany, of which 300 were banned by the Allied forces. Today, around 40 films, called "Vorbehaltsfilme", are locked away from the public with an uncertain future. Should they be re-released, destroyed, or continue to be neglected? Verbotene Filme takes a closer look at some of these forbidden films.

Plot

In a fortified, explosion-proof bunker of the German Federal Archives Vault, 2000 film reels made of celluloid, and the highly flammable nitrocellulose, are meticulously organised and stored. They are the silent witnesses of a bygone era when more than 1200 films were produced under the Nazi regime, depicting a wide array of topics, ranging from chest-thumping musicals to insidious melodramas about euthanasia itself. Until now, an ongoing censorship still exists for about 40 films of Joseph Goebbels' ministry of propaganda--and even though some are blatant works of manipulation--minute hints and cleverly-hidden insinuations throughout some movies, prove that film is propaganda's most important part. With the help of distinguished experts and German film historians, this is an attempt to provide the viewers with enough stimuli on the debate about the controversial subject of censorship, and the inner conflict about where one draws the line on such a delicate matter.

Written by

Felix Moeller

Directed by

Felix Moeller

Cast

Hans Albers, Götz Aly, Elise Aulinger

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Germany

Production Companies

HR, RBB, Blueprint Film, ARTE

Languages

Deutsch, Français

Awards

N/A

Scores

# of Votes

225

Average Rating

6.9 out of 10

Metascore

Popularity

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