Experiencing Interruptions?

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.

  • Władysław Jurków
    Director
  • Gerburg Rohde-Dahl
    Director
  • Władysław Jurków
    Writer
  • Gerburg Rohde-Dahl
    Writer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Przypadek Johanny Langefeld
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 27, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    260,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Poland
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany, Poland
  • Language:
    German, Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 16.Neisse Film Festival
    Zgorzelec
    Poland
    May 9, 2019
    Polish
    Official Selection
  • RIFFA Regina Film Festival & Awards 2019
    Regina, SK,
    Canada
    August 16, 2019
    Canadian Premiere
    Best International Documentary
  • 7th AegeanDocs International Film Festival
    Lesvos-Mytilene
    Greece
    October 6, 2019
    Greek Premiere
    Best Foreign Documentary Award
  • KinoDUEL International Film Festival
    Minsk
    Belarus
    Official Selection
  • DOCK International Documentary Historical Film Festival
    Burgas
    Bulgaria
    September 19, 2019
    Bulgarian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 17th Tirana International Film Awards
    Tirana
    Albania
    Albanian Premiere
    Official selection
  • Minsk International Film Festival LISTAPAD
    Minsk
    Belarus
    November 6, 2019
    Belarus Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 25th Documentary Film Festival NURT
    Kielce
    Poland
    November 19, 2019
    Award of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
  • 6th Peloponnisos International Documentary Festival
    Kalamata
    Greece
    January 17, 2020
    Peloponnisios Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Red Rock Film Festival
    Cedar City, Utah
    United States
    October 6, 2019
    Utah Premiere
    Grand Jury PrizeGrand Jury Prize & Special Achievement Award for directing
  • 31st Polish Film Festival in America
    Chicago
    United States
    November 13, 2019
    GOLDEN TEETH AWARD for the Most Interesting Documentary
  • History Film Festival
    Rijeka
    Croatia
    September 9, 2020
    Audience Award
  • 12th The Rasnov Histories and Film Festival
    Rasnov
    Romania
    August 30, 2020
    Special Mention of the Festival Jury
Distribution Information
  • New Docs
Director Biography - Władysław Jurków, Gerburg Rohde-Dahl

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

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Director Statement

I believe that film should be an intellectual and emotional adventure for both filmmaker and audience. This story ensures such an experience.