The Good Nazi
Synopsis
“The Good Nazi” is one of those rare films that weave science, history and extremely personal human stories. During the Holocaust, a Nazi major named Karl Plagge, arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania as part of the occupation force. When he saw that the SS was hellbent on murdering every Jewish man, woman and child, Plagge decided to save Jews, rather than murder them. So he ran a covert operation. On the surface, he was commandant of a forced labor camp called “HKP”. In reality, he was sheltering hundreds of Jewish families. By the end, many were saved in hiding places dug into the ground and carved into the walls. Many more were executed by the SS and buried in a mass grave. Today, the former “HKP” – unchanged! – is home to impoverished Lithuanians. Because the government is about to tear down the site and put up condos instead, a group of scientists arrives to locate the hiding places of those that were saved and identify the mass grave of those who were murdered. A child survivor of the camp and an American physician, whose mother was saved by Major Plagge, join them. The film tracks their three stories and, ultimately, brings to light the unknown tale of a Schindler-type German who listened to his conscience, instead of his superiors.
Credits
Director(s)
Yaron Niski, Ric Esther Bienstock
Producer(s)
Ric Esther Bienstock
Executive Producer(s)
Simcha Jacobovici, Felix Golubev
Script
Simcha Jacobovici
Cinematography
Derek Rogers
Editor
Ellai J. Himel
Original Music
Drew Jurecka, Rob McAllister, Greg Ryan
Original Language
English, Hebrew, German
Subtitles
English
Festival Highlights
Austin Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020
Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020
Other Israel Film Festival, USA, 2019
United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston, USA, 2019
Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Federation, USA, 2019
