The film chronicles an infamous political show trial that took place in Czechoslovakia at the height of the Cold War. In 1952 fourteen leading Communists, including Rudolf Slansky, the second most powerful man in the country, were tried on charges of high treason and espionage. Although they were innocent, they confessed and were convicted. Most of the men were hanged and three received life sentences. Eleven of the fourteen were Jews.
The story of the trial and the paranoia of the period is told through testimonies, trial footage, archival films and extensive documentation. Among the people who appear in the film are Lise London, whose late husband Artur wrote The Confession, a memoir of the trial; Eduard Goldstucker, the first Czech Ambassador to Israel, who was jailed and forced to testify at the trial; and Jan Kavan, a Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose father was also a trial witness. What led these men to their passionate belief in Communism and why did they publicly confess to crimes they did not commit? The film explores these questions, as well as the role of Moscow, the motives for the trial and its anti-Semitic nature. It deals with the personal stories of the condemned men and their families.
Zuzana Justman
Zuzana Justman, a filmmaker and writer, was born in Prague and as a child, spent two years in the Terezín ghetto. She emigrated to Argentina with her mother in 1948, while her brother the writer, J.R.Pick remained in Prague. She came to the U.S. to study at Vassar College and now lives in New York City. In addition to A Trial in Prague, she made two documentaries about Terezin, Terezin Diary and Voices of the Children (Emmy Award 1999), as well as Czech Women, a film about the changing world of women after 1989. Zuzana’s story about her Terezin diary was published in the New Yorker.
Irena Kovarova
Irena Kovarova is an independent film programmer and occasional writer, specializing in Czech, European, and independent cinema. Native of Prague, she’s lived in NYC since 1996. She curated and produced over a dozen touring retrospectives and many other repertory programs. In 2013 she founded Comeback Company. Apart from public events, she also collaborates on home video releases providing commentaries and essays on films made in Czechoslovakia prior to 1989.
The screening is part of a film series that features well-known and lesser-known films telling the stories of Czech and Slovak Jews in the turbulent 20th century. Each film will be introduced and discussed by a film historian or other relevant expert.
Free and open to the public. Suggested donation $15. Seats are limited, on first-come, first-served basis. RSVP through Eventbrite.
The event is organized by the Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.
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