Film Archive

Killing Jews for German Health

The prominent American psychiatrist and distinguished professor Robert Jay Lifton is the author of many important works about the survivors of Hiroshima, Vietnam veterans, Nazi doctors, the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo sect and numerous current and challenging issues. He was the winner of many awards, including the American National Book Award, and is a founding member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

After reading protocols of the Auschwitz Trial in Frankfurt, he was motivated for his psycho-historical research on Nazi doctors. In the late 70s, the Jewish scientist visited Auschwitz survivors and Holocaust perpetrators, mainly former Nazi physicians. In the film, he describes his approach and charts the way in which ordinary doctors changed from healers to killers.

Robert Jay Lifton takes us on a journey through his experiences, including his most personal insights. From the conversations evolved a picture of psychological trauma, spanning the 60 years from the Nuremberg Doctors’ Trial to today.

Hannes Karnick was born in 1947 and is an independent filmmaker, producing documentaries on politics, culture and society for television and theatrical release. In 1972 (together with Wolfgang Richter), he founded the production company docfilm and is a founding member of the German Documentary Association. A selection of his award-winning films (together with Wolfgang Richter) includes: Powers Born to Hell (1970), Greetings from Neckarsulm (1975), Willi Bleicher, He Saved the Child in Buchenwald (1978), Martin Niemoeller: The Man Who Defied Hitler (1985), Radio Star - The AFN Story (1994), Lab of Hope (2000), Climate Change or Climate Disaster? (2005), and Killing Jews for German Health (2007).
 
Wolfgang Richter was born in 1947 and is an independent filmmaker, producing documentaries on politics, culture and society for television and theatrical release. In 1972 (together with Hannes Karnick), he founded the production company docfilm and is a founding member of the German Documentary Association. A selection of his award-winning films (together with Hannes Karnick) includes: Powers Born to Hell (1970), Greetings from Neckarsulm (1975), Willi Bleicher, He Saved the Child in Buchenwald (1978), Martin Niemoeller: The Man Who Defied Hitler (1985), Radio Star - The AFN Story (1994), Lab of Hope (2000), Climate Change or Climate Disaster? (2005), and Killing Jews for German Health (2007).
 

Genre History
Category Documentary Cinema
Year of Production 2007
Director Hannes Karnick, Wolfgang Richter
Screenplay Wolfgang Richter
Director of Photography Wolfgang Richter
Editor Wolfgang Richter
Music by Jan Tilman Schade
Producers Hannes Karnick, Wolfgang Richter
Production Company docfilm/Darmstadt
Principal Cast Robert Jay Lifton
Length 100 min, 2,660 m
Format 35 mm, color, 1:1.78
Original Version English
Subtitled Versions German
Sound Technology Dolby SR
With backing from BKM, HR Filmfoerderung

World Sales (please contact)
docfilm Karnick & Richter OHG
Wolfgang Richter
Heidelberger Landstrasse 89
64297 Darmstadt/Germany
phone +49-61 51-5 11 17
fax +49-61 51-5 31 06
email: wolfgang.richter@docfilm.de
http://www.docfilm.de