Using exclusively archival footage, Erwin Leiser traces the rise and collapse of the Third Reich, from Adolf Hitler’s early years to the devastation of Europe and his suicide in 1945. The film draws heavily on material produced and preserved by the Nazi propaganda apparatus to confront the mechanisms, imagery, and consequences of totalitarian power.

A interview with Fritz Lang where he talks about his career in Germany and troubles with the Nazis.

A documentary film created using authentic footage that shows the terrifying effects of nuclear weapons, using Hiroshima as an example.

In 1937, art and power collide in a rare clash that will change the face of Europe for decades to come. At the beginning of the year, the Spanish town of Guernica was bombed by the German air force. On June 30, Goebbels issued his decree "to segregate German folk art", the campaign against modern art. On July 18, Hitler inaugurated the "House of German Art" in Munich, one day later the exhibition "Degenerate Art" was opened. Erwin Leiser interviews art historians, dealers and contemporary witnesses such as Willy Brandt, tracks down lost paintings and shows the "Degenerate Art" exhibition reconstructed in Los Angeles - without propagandistic slogans.

In 1937, art and power collide in a rare clash that will change the face of Europe for decades to come. At the beginning of the year, the Spanish town of Guernica was bombed by the German air force. On June 30, Goebbels issued his decree "to segregate German folk art", the campaign against modern art. On July 18, Hitler inaugurated the "House of German Art" in Munich, one day later the exhibition "Degenerate Art" was opened. Erwin Leiser interviews art historians, dealers and contemporary witnesses such as Willy Brandt, tracks down lost paintings and shows the "Degenerate Art" exhibition reconstructed in Los Angeles - without propagandistic slogans.

Documentary about antisemitic pogroms in Nazi Germany.

Documentary about antisemitic pogroms in Nazi Germany.

Using exclusively archival footage, Erwin Leiser traces the rise and collapse of the Third Reich, from Adolf Hitler’s early years to the devastation of Europe and his suicide in 1945. The film draws heavily on material produced and preserved by the Nazi propaganda apparatus to confront the mechanisms, imagery, and consequences of totalitarian power.