Varian's War ( Varian Fry, un héros oublié )

Varian's War (DVD) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $14.97

Original Title: Varian Fry, un héros oublié
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
Dutch ( Subtitles )
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Netherlands ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
115 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Biographies
Filmographies
Interactive Menu
Photo Gallery
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2001 and produced in:
Canada ( USA, Canada )
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Lionel Chetwynd

Written By:
Lionel Chetwynd

Actors:
William Hurt ..... Varian Fry
Julia Ormond ..... Miriam Davenport
Matt Craven ..... Beamish
Maury Chaykin ..... Marcello
Alan Arkin ..... Freier
Lynn Redgrave ..... Alma Werfel-Mahler
Rémy Girard ..... Colonel Joubert (as Remy Girard)
Christopher Heyerdahl ..... Marius Franken
Gloria Carlin ..... Bella Chagall
Joel Miller ..... Marc Chagall
Vlasta Vrana ..... Franz Werfel
John Dunn-Hill ..... Heinrich Mann
Ted Whittall ..... Harry Bingham
Dorothée Berryman ..... Mme Fanny
Howard Ryshpan ..... Konditorei Owner

Synopsis:

Varian Fry was an American journalist who was convinced, years before America become directly involved in World War II, that Nazi Germany's abusive policies against Jews and other 'outsiders' would soon have grim consequences around the world. But Fry had a hard time convincing other Americans of the extent of the Nazi threat in 1938, and he eventually relocated to Germany to cover the rise of the Nazis in hopes of bringing his warning call to the world. Fry's efforts earned him the respect of Europe's intellectual and creative community, and in 1940, Fry aligned himself with a number of American organizations as he began working to smuggle refugees out of Europe and to safety. Along with thousands of ordinary citizens, Fry helped to save Marc Chagall, Heinrich Mann, Max Ernst, Andre Benton, and a number of other important artists and writers from execution at the hands of Hitler's henchmen. Varian's War is a made-for-cable feature based on Fry's extraordinary true story; William Hurt stars as Varian Fry, with Julia Ormond and Matt Craven highlighting the supporting cast.

After witnessing the treatment of Jews in Nazi territory made him physically sick, cultured American gentleman Varian Fry starts en emergency rescue commission to raise funds and lobby to help intellectuals and artists, especially Jews, escape from Vichy France -where the Pétain government avoid occupation only by utter collaboration- to the US, and for lack of a better volunteer personally sets out in search of them. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt personally overcomes the reticence of the State Department. In Marseille he finds the people he specifically looked for, such as Marc Chagall, already housed by Harry Bingham, a Jewish US consulate official so he starts screening less obvious candidates and examines with Miriam Davenport and a German social democrat they pass for US clergyman Beamish how some can be rescued legally, others via a clandestine route, while colonel Joubert's State Police is at their trace...

The story of American Varian Fry, who at great risk to his own life, traveled to Marseilles in 1940 to rescue prominent European artists as well as 2,000 others from Nazi persecution. He built, on his own and without the help of the U.S. government, an elaborate rescue network that managed to save some of the most influential cultural figures of our age -- artists, writers and scientists. Fry travels to Berlin as a journalist in the 1930's, and is sickened by the atrocities he witnesses against the Jewish community during the street pogroms. He becomes driven to fight against the Nazi brutality, recognizing that action must be taken if Jews, artists, intellectuals and their heritage -- what he calls 'the soul of Europe' -- are to be preserved.

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 08 October, 2010.

Customers who bought this product also purchased

War / Holocaust Films - 3-DVD Set (DVD)

Mussolini and I - 2-DVD Set (DVD)

Good (DVD)