FOUR PROVOCATIVE, ASTONISHING DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT NAZI GERMANY
THE GOEBBELS EXPERIMENT
Arguably the most gifted of Hitler's henchmen, Joseph Goebbels was an enigmatic genius whose successful manipulation of mass political opinion was unprecedented. His rise to power, and that of the Nazi Party itself, will forever stand as one of history's most terrifying examples of the reach of propaganda, a tool with which Goebbels's name is
virtually synonymous.
A rare and chilling glimpse into a brilliant but toxic mind, this fascinating documentary allows Goebbels to speak for himself (in the voice of Kenneth Branagh), via the extensive diaries that he kept. Rare clips from German film and tv archives illustrate the readings. At a time when much of our media is controlled by a handful of corporations, The Goebbels Experiment is a cautionary reminder that equal access to the machinery of ideas may be society's most critical goal." (from The New York Times)
FIRESTORM
After suffering heavy losses of aircraft during attacks on German factories, Winston Churchill orders cities to be targeted in order to smash German morale and reduce the number of workers available for the Nazi war machine. Hundreds of thousands of German civilians are killed as incendiary bombs turn Hamburg, Dresden and other cities into tornados of fire. Now, a new debate is underway over this lethal bombing campaign. Were these relentless aerial attacks on German cities, which killed so many and destroyed so much, a necessary tactic in the war against Hitler? Or was it an act of revenge by the Allies?
Using rare film footage (much of it in color) and stirring interviews with historians, former bomber pilots and survivors of the destruction, this extraordinary film brings to light the devastating bombing campaign against Nazi Germany.
THE REICH UNDERGROUND
While Germany sustained relentless bombing by the Allies, the Nazis undertook a bold gambit to turn the war back in their favor. Building an extensive tunnel system deep
underground to house armament factories, Nazi leaders raced against time to produce the deadly new weapons they hoped would bring Germany final victory.
Long forgotten after the victorious American Army sealed them off from intruders, the sprawling underground labyrinths are reopened for the first time in decades. Using previously unreleased film material and exclusive interviews, the story of the Underground Reich provides a glimpse into awesome worlds hidden beneath the earth.
TELEVISION UNDER THE SWASTIKA
Legend has it that television began in the United States in the 1950s but in reality its origins hark back much further. Nazi leaders, determined to be the world's first broadcasters, began Greater German Television in 1935.
Making use of film footage discovered in the catacombs of the Berlin Federal Film Archive, this fascinating film explores the technology behind this new medium and the programming the Nazis put on it. Interviews with high-ranking Nazis as well as ordinary people, cooking shows, sporting events and cabaret acts are some of the stunning finds seen here; it's required viewing for anyone interested in the history of television, the intersection of media and propaganda, and the inside story of Nazi Germany.
