The Case of Johanna Langefeld
The unknown story of Johanna Langefeld, chief SS-guard of Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Ravensbrück, who escaped in 1946 from prison in Cracow, where she waited for trial.
Her escape was organized by her former victims - Polish prisoners of the Ravensbrück concentration camp.
Why did Polish survivors of Ravensbrück helped an SS-woman avoid death sentence?
The filmmakers explore circumstances of this escape, to find out who Johanna Langefeld was and why Polish woman decided to give her freedom.
This Polish-German investigation leads to surprising discoveries about the heroes of the story as well as the historical circumstances.
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Władysław JurkówDirector
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Gerburg Rohde-DahlDirector
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Władysław JurkówWriter
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Gerburg Rohde-DahlWriter
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Project Title (Original Language):Przypadek Johanny Langefeld
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:1 hour 30 minutes
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Completion Date:January 27, 2019
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Production Budget:260,000 EUR
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Country of Origin:Poland
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Country of Filming:Germany, Poland
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Language:German, Polish
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Black & White and Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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16.Neisse Film FestivalZgorzelec
Poland
May 9, 2019
Polish
Official Selection -
RIFFA Regina Film Festival & Awards 2019Regina, SK,
Canada
August 16, 2019
Canadian Premiere
Best International Documentary -
7th AegeanDocs International Film FestivalLesvos-Mytilene
Greece
October 6, 2019
Greek Premiere
Best Foreign Documentary Award -
KinoDUEL International Film FestivalMinsk
Belarus
Official Selection -
DOCK International Documentary Historical Film FestivalBurgas
Bulgaria
September 19, 2019
Bulgarian Premiere
Official Selection -
17th Tirana International Film AwardsTirana
Albania
Albanian Premiere
Official selection -
Minsk International Film Festival LISTAPADMinsk
Belarus
November 6, 2019
Belarus Premiere
Official Selection -
25th Documentary Film Festival NURTKielce
Poland
November 19, 2019
Award of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage -
6th Peloponnisos International Documentary FestivalKalamata
Greece
January 17, 2020
Peloponnisios Premiere
Official Selection -
Red Rock Film FestivalCedar City, Utah
United States
October 6, 2019
Utah Premiere
Grand Jury PrizeGrand Jury Prize & Special Achievement Award for directing -
31st Polish Film Festival in AmericaChicago
United States
November 13, 2019
GOLDEN TEETH AWARD for the Most Interesting Documentary -
History Film FestivalRijeka
Croatia
September 9, 2020
Audience Award -
12th The Rasnov Histories and Film FestivalRasnov
Romania
August 30, 2020
Special Mention of the Festival Jury
Distribution Information
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New Docs
WLADEK JURKOW - director/scriptwriter
Film director, journalist, cooperating with TVP, HBO, WDR. Author of documentary films and TV programmes, member of Polish archeological missions in Egypt and Sudan.
Selected productions:
2014 Faras 3D – stereoscopic 3d film for National Museum in Warsaw,
2008 African Dream – documentary for HBO,
2008 Secrets of the Nile Valley – documentary series for TVP2,
2006 Hanging Writer – documentary on Witold Gombrowicz, TVP1,
2005 J.G.Pinsel -The Forgotten Master – documentary on master of Baroque sculpture, Filmotwórnia and Polish Film Institute,
2002 The View From a Window - documentary on Polish painter Jan Cybis,TVP1
2001 The Nest - documentary for TVP 2,
1998 -2000 Franciszek Starowieyski’s tales about Art – TV series for TVP1, 25 episodes,
1997 Alles in Bester Verfassung - Polen – documentary for WDR
Awards and festivals:
„African Dream” 10 International Film Festival Rozstaje Europy 2009,
XVI Ogólnopolski Festiwal Filmowy Prowincjonalia 2009, Gdańsk DOC Film Festival 2009,
Docboat Warsaw Nonfiction E-Fest 2009,
Human Doc Film Festival Warszawa 2010
„Secrets oft he Nile Valley“
The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival (USA) 2009
AGON - International Meeting of Archaeological Film (Grecja) 2009
Grand Prix Festiwalu Filmów Archeologicznych w Krakowie 2010
Gerburg Rohde-Dahl – director / script
1974 -1979 University Bremen - German studies and history, since 1974 Filmproducer, director and script author for German TV RB/NDR/WDR/rbb/MDR and freelanced.
Selected documentaries, essays and feature films
• 2018 NOW AND THEN A BIRD FLEW BY, documental essay
• 2009 ONCE THERE WAS A ZEBRA / School Documentation FörMig Berlin
• 2008 EXPANSIVE GROUND , documental essay, screened at 21 filmfestivals
• 2001 DYING AND LIVING /documentary NDR
• 1995 KONSEQUENT INKONSEQUENT, The Painter Franz Radziwill /documentary RB/NDR/WDR
• 1972 – 1997 RAPPELKISTE und other series ~30 features for children ZDF
Awards
• 1984 1. Award Internationalal Festival for Children and Juvenils Gijon
• 1985 Award of PEACE Villa Ichon Bremen
• 2009 SPIRIT AWARD 2nd chashama Filmfestival
• 2010 AWARD 5th place in the "Documentary" category The Indie Gathering Filmfestival
• 2010 AWARD SCREENPLAY Philadelphia Documentary & Fiction Festival
• 2010 AWARD FOR BEST REPORTAGE 28th Festival du Film du L’ Art FIFA
I believe that film should be an intellectual and emotional adventure for both filmmaker and audience. This story ensures such an experience.