Co-presented by the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, TJFF, and the Goethe-Institut Toronto
Join the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, and the Goethe-Institut Toronto as we introduce and discuss the groundbreaking 1938 Russian drama "Professor Mamlock", based on the 1933 German play by Friedrich Wolf and described as one of the first films to discuss the Holocaust -- a huge success in New York and other US cities, but censored and outlawed in Chicago, the UK and China.
Tune in on June 24 for an insightful introduction to the eventful 1938 Toronto premiere followed by the online film screening; and on June 25 a discussion between Jutta Brendemuhl, Program Curator at the Goethe-Institut; Professor of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Olga Gershenson; and public historian and Holocaust education scholar Dan Panneton discussing the legacy of "Professor Mamlock," its 1961 East German remake by Konrad Wolf, and antifascist cinema.
Watch Professor Mamlock for free on June 24.
Watch & participate in the free conversation about Prof. Mamlock on June 25. Not a J-Flix member yet? Register for free.
"Professor Mamlock" (1938) by Adolf Minkin, Gerbert Rappaport with Semyon Mezhinsky, E. Nikitina, Oleg Zhakov
110min. Russian with English subtitles
A Jewish surgeon—a war veteran, brillant scientist and respected citizen—becomes a victim of the mad anti-semitic purge and stripped of all his possessions and discarded by the hospital.
"Professor Mamlock" is considered one of the earliest dramatic films on the subject of Nazi anti-Semitism, and the first to tell Americans that Nazis were persecuting and killing Jews. Hailed in New York, and banned in Chicago, it was adapted by exiled German playwright Friedrich Wolf from his own play, and co-directed in Russia by Austrian exilé Herbert Rappaport and Adolph Minkin. The story centers on the persecution of the German surgeon Mamlock, his son's sympathy and subsequent leadership of the underground communists, and a rival’s opportunistic tactics to expel Mamlock from his clinic. Right in the middle of the fascist takeover, the dramatic run of events degenerates into exploitation, humiliation, and tragedy.
June 24th @ 7:00 PM | Introduction & Film Screening
June 25th @ 7:00 PM | Zoom Discussion
You can watch Konrad Wolf’s 1961 film “Professor Mamlock” for free on Kanopy.
The Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre has launched a new online programming series making Holocaust education, remembrance, and commemoration accessible in the safety and comfort of your homes. Curated with special guests, these digital programs are designed to promote dialogue and understanding about Holocaust history and urgent contemporary themes.
The Goethe-Institut Toronto wishes to thank the DEFA Film Library at University of Massachusetts and Hiltrud Schulz for their support.
Part of the Goethe-Institut’s focus on Shaping the Past
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