Two systems: the Nazi machine versus the Vatican and Allied diplomacy. Two men are struggling from the inside: On one side, Kurt Gerstein, a real-life chemist and SS officer, supplies the death camps with zyklon B while he tirelessly denounces the crimes and alerts the Allies, the Pope, the Germans and their churches of their murderous policy against the European Jews. Kurt does this at his own risk, and at the risk his family’s welfare and safety.
On the other side, Ricardo Fontana, a young Jesuit, is a fictitious character who represents all the priests, who were determined to struggle against savagery; many of them paying for their courage with their lives. Countless priests, some known, others anonymous, were simply not content to live with the silence of their church’s hierarchy vis-à-vis the Nazi machine.
Amen. is a 2002 German, Romanian-French historical drama film, co-written and directed by Costa-Gavras and starring Ulrich Tukur, Mathieu Kassovitz, Sebastian Koch and Ulrich Mühe. The film examines the links between the Vatican and Nazi Germany.
The film is based on a 1963 play by Rolf Hochhuth, The Deputy, a Christian Tragedy, which was widely attacked in Catholic and Jewish circles for its unrealistic portrayal of Pope Pius XII. The German-language version of the film was released under the play’s original title Der Stellvertreter. Since the Holy See did not allow filming in the Vatican, the scenes in the papal palaces were shot in the Palace of the Parliament of Bucharest, Romania.
Amen (2003)
Directed by: Costa-Gavras
Starring: Ulrich Tukur, Mathieu Kassovitz, Ulrich Mühe, Michel Duchaussoy, Ion Caramitru, Marcel Iures, Friedrich von Thun, Sebastian Koch
Screenplay by: Costa-Gavras Jean-Claude Grumberg
Production Design by: Ari Hantke
Cinematography by: Patrick Blossier
Film Editing by: Yannick Kergoat
Costume Design by: Edith Vesperini
Set Decoration by: Carmen Pasula
Art Direction by: Maria Miu
Music by: Armand Amar
Distributed by: Kino International
Release Date: January 24, 2003
Visits: 128
