Jakob der Lügner

Jakob Heym, a Jew deported to a ghetto in occupied Poland during the Second World War, is discovered by a sentry in the street after curfew and is taken to a police station to be punished. Whilst there, he overhears through an open door that the Red Army is successfully advancing. When Jakob is unexpectedly released by the SS man in charge, he is faced with the question of what to do with this uplifting news. With whom should he share his joy? Will people believe him or will they think he is an informer?
This 1974 Oscar-nominated literary adaptation was digitally restored in 2022 on behalf of the DEFA Foundation. The digitised version is being unveiled for the first time at the Berlinale. This fully accessible screening of the German subtitled version is accompanied by audio description and is taking place as part of the award ceremony for the Heiner Carow Prize.

The prize’s nominees are the following creatives from different filmmaking disciplines whose work is screening in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section: Karla Cristóbal (Long Long Kiss, screenwriter); Fabiana Fragale, Kilian Kuhlendahl, Jens Mühlhoff (Lonley Oaks, directors); Jacob Maria Kohl (Nomades du nucléaire, cinematographer); Bayan Leyla (Elaha, actor); Sophia Mocorrea (The Kidnapping of the Bride, director); Steffi Niederzoll (Seven Winters in Tehran, director); Evelyn Rack (Ararat, editor); Daria Somesan (On Mothers and Daughters, sound); Fabian Stumm (Bones and Names, screenwriter); Ole Wiedekamm (Ash Wednesday, music).

This year’s jury members are Freya Arde (film composer), Peter Kahane (director) and Mirko Wiermann (DEFA Foundation). The DEFA Foundation is awarding this prize for the tenth time.