JIFF: Martha Liebermann

“The history of resistance against the Nazi regime is in the public perception almost exclusively a story of men. Yet resistance was also a matter for women. Women resistance fighters acted courageously and imaginatively.” — Producers, Ziegler and Geithe

An impressive drama based on the true story of Max Liebermann’s widow, whom neither her age, nor money, nor her husband’s international fame could protect from persecution.

Berlin, 1943. Martha Liebermann has lived a comfortable life as the widow of the world-famous and revered painter Max Liebermann. As a Jew, she is now faced with an unimaginable decision, of leaving her beloved homeland at age 85 or waiting to be deported to a concentration camp. Fearing the destruction of her husband's paintings, Martha meets with a resistance group to try and smuggle the works to safety. While Martha’s reputation still provides protection, time is running out. She finds herself caught between a high-level resistance group, promising safe passage to Switzerland, and an ambitious Gestapo commissioner, extorting her for an exit permit.

Rating

Unclass15

Duration

88 min

Language

German (English subtitles)

Director

Stefan Bühling