Music under the Swastika: The Maestro and the Cellist of Auschwitz

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was 17 when she arrived at Auschwitz. She was asked what she did before being deported, and answered, "I played the cello." That’s when she was told of the orchestra at the camp and, thus, her life was saved. More than 70 years later, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who had vowed never to step foot on German soil again, changed her mind and addressed the German Bundestag. This is one of the most stirring moments of this film, but it’s hardly the only one.

Lasker-Wallfisch is the film’s protagonist, but the other dominant figure here is Wilhelm Furtwängler, a star conductor who was the "pet musician" of Hitler and Goebbels. Their story, along with high-quality archival clips, demonstrate the central role that music played for the leaders of Nazi Germany, who considered themselves "educated and cultured".