Description |
1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 97 min.) |
Summary |
In his bittersweet comedy loaded with human quirks and nuance, Jacob invents news reports to bolster the spirits of the other Jews living in his Polish ghetto under Nazi occupation. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1977, the story was remade in Hollywood starring Robin Williams in 1999. In a Polish ghetto in 1944, Jacob Heym is summoned to the police station. While there, Jacob overhears on the radio that "the Russians are twenty kilometers from Bezanika." The next day he tells this to a despondent friend who is about to commit suicide, and the news renews his hope in salvation. As no one would believe the true story, Jacob pretends to have a radio; as no one in the ghetto is allowed to have a radio, however, all are eager to hear news from the outside world and constantly ask Jacob for updates on the advance of the Soviets. Jacob creates fictional reports to help alleviate the unbearable hopelessness of those around him; but his lies cannot stop the machinery that brings death to all the ghetto inhabitants |
Notes |
Title from title frames |
Cast |
Vlastimil Brodsky, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Erwin Geschonneck, Henry Hübchen, Blanche Kommerell, Manuela Simon, Margit Bara |
Event |
Originally produced by DEFA Film Library in 1974 |
Notes |
In German with English subtitles |
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Academy Award nomination for best foreign film, 1977 |
Subject |
Beyer, Frank, 1932-2006.
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SUBJECT |
Beyer, Frank, 1932-2006. fast (OCoLC)fst00359796 |
Subject |
Motion pictures, German.
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Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Drama
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World War, 1939-1945 -- Jews -- Poland -- Drama
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Jewish ghettos -- Poland -- Drama
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Jews.
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Jewish ghettos.
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Motion pictures, German.
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SUBJECT |
Germany -- Drama
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Poland -- Drama
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Subject |
Germany.
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Poland.
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Genre/Form |
War films.
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Feature films.
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Drama.
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Internet videos.
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Feature films.
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War films.
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Form |
Streaming video
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Author |
Beyer, Frank, 1932-2006, director.
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Brodský, Vlastimil, actor.
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Geschonneck, Erwin, 1906-2008, actor.
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Johannes Baur, Reimar, actor
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Mueller-Stahl, Armin, 1930- actor.
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Hübchen, Henry, 1947- actor.
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Kommerell, Blanche, actor.
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Simon, Manuela, actor.
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University of Massachusetts at Amherst. DEFA Film Library.
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