Abstract
Chronicles an infamous political show trial that took place in Czechoslovakia at the height of the Cold War. In 1952 fourteen leading Communists, including Rudolf Slansky, the second most powerful man in the country, were tried on charges of high treason and espionage. Although they were innocent, they confessed and were convicted. Most of the men were hanged and three received life sentences. Eleven of the fourteen were Jews.
The story of the trial and the paranoia of the period is told through archival footage, extensive documentation and interviews, including Lise London, whose late husband Artur wrote The Confession, a memoir of the trial; Eduard Goldstucker, the first Czech Ambassador to Israel, who was jailed and forced to testify at the trial; and Jan Kavan, the present Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose father was also a trial witness. What led these men to their passionate belief in Communism and why did they publicly confess to crimes they did not commit? The video explores these questions, as well as the role of Moscow, the motives for the trial and its anti-Semitic nature. It deals with the personal stories of the condemned men and the legacy they left their children.
The story of the trial and the paranoia of the period is told through archival footage, extensive documentation and interviews, including Lise London, whose late husband Artur wrote The Confession, a memoir of the trial; Eduard Goldstucker, the first Czech Ambassador to Israel, who was jailed and forced to testify at the trial; and Jan Kavan, the present Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose father was also a trial witness. What led these men to their passionate belief in Communism and why did they publicly confess to crimes they did not commit? The video explores these questions, as well as the role of Moscow, the motives for the trial and its anti-Semitic nature. It deals with the personal stories of the condemned men and the legacy they left their children.
Collection
Contributors
Duration
01:22:59 (HH:MM:SS)
Language:
English
Target or Intended Audience
adult/continuing education, higher education, high school (grades 10-12), college
Copyright Holder
| Name | The Cinema Guild, Inc. |
| Role | distributor |
| Telephone | (800) 723-5522 |
| Address | 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800 ยท New York, NY 10001 |
| [email protected] |
Copyright Date
-01-01
Rights Declaration:
This video is protected by copyright. You are free to view it but not download or remix it. Please contact the licensing institution for further information about how you may use this video.
Persistent/Share URL
https://54098.surd9.group/show.php?pid=njcore:184210
Basic LTI parameter
pid=njcore:184210
PID
njcore:184210
Metadata