The Case of Johanna Langefeld
The Female Guard
52min version THE FEMALE GUARD – The Case of Johanna Langefeld original German/Polish version with Polish, German or English subtitles available
DIE AUFSEHERIN – DER FALL JOHANNA LANGEFELD
starts in German cinemas Januar 2020
DVD release is planned during the next year
Synopsis
The story of Johanna Langefeld is the only known case of an SS guard being saved from a death sentence after the war by her own victims. In 1946, she escaped from a Cracow prison where she was awaiting trial. Her former prisoners not only helped her escape but also hid her from the Polish authorities for ten years. What were their motives?Woman and War – Perpetrators and victims
The film explores the only known case of a high-ranking SS guard being supported by her own victims: Johanna Langefeld, chief-guard of the concentration camps for women in Auschwitz and Ravensbrueck, awaited trial for Nazi war crimes and escaped 23th Dec. 1946 with the help of Polish survivors of the Ravensbrueck concentration camp. The story was kept secret because its disclosure threatened punishment, both for the former German SS-guard, as well as for the Polish escape supporters.
The film authors jointly spoke with Polish survivors. They all share a real positive opinion about Johanna Langefeld. Former statements in trials confirm that she was no sadist but that Langefeld was a strongly convinced Nazi and anti-Semite. She ordered hard punishments and was involved in deportations into the gas chambers from Ravensbrück in Bernburg and Auschwitz.
Based on archival materials and witnesses, the film tries an approach to a high-ranking both Nazi-perpetrator and saviour. The Polish and German author will enhance the view at the Polish-German history from both perspectives seeking to clarify this mysterious episode of the early post-war era.
Who was Johanna Langefeld?
Co-production Arkadia Film and Rohde-Dahl Filmproduktion with RBB, MDR and the Krakow Film Commission, with the support of The Polish Film Institute, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Eurimages Fund, Creative Europe Desk Poland, The Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, 2019
Festivals/Awards
awards:Best International Documentary – RIFFA Canada
Best Foreign Documentary – 7 AegeanDocs Greece
Award of Ministry of Culture & National Heritage of Poland – 25 NURT, Kielce, Poland
Golden Teeth of Camera – 31 PFFA, Chicago
Grand Jury Prize & Special Achievement Award directing – Red Rock Film Festival, USA.
2019
KinoDUEL International Film Festival, Russian Federation
Neisse Film Festival, Germany
RIFFA Regina Film Festival & Awards, Canada
AegeanDocs International Film Festival, Greece
Documentary Film Festival NURT, Poland
Polish Film Festival in America, USA
DOCK International Documentary Historical Film Festival, Bulgaria
Respect Belfast Human Rights Film Festival, UK
Tirana International Film Festival, Albania
Minsk International Film Festival LISTAPAD, Belarus
Annual Red Dock Film Festival, USA
Indie Doc Pro Film Festival, Spain
2022
LETsDOK
Cast and Crew
- Director Gerburg Rohde-Dahl, Wladek Jurkow
Original Languages
German
Polish
World Sales Company
NEW DOCSDasselstr. 75-77, 50674 Köln
Phone: +49 221 16819743
sales@newdocs.dehttp://www.newdocs.de
Co-Production Company
Rohde-Dahl FilmproduktionGermany
www.rohdedahl.de
Links / Reference
ARKADIA FILM – Warszawa
www.facebook.com/arkadiafilm/
arkadiafilm.pl
TRAILER
youtu.be/KLYeuq82OrE
www.FB.com/thecaseofjohanna
youtu.be/kNK3qbhYAko
www.newdocs.de/the-female-guar...
www.rohdedahl.de/johannas-gehe...
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