Music Under the Swastika - The Maestro and the Cellist of Auschwitz

The stories of Jewish cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who survived Auschwitz, and of star conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, who worked with the Nazis, provide insight. The film centers around two people who represent musical culture during the Third Reich - albeit in very different ways. Wilhelm Furtwängler was a star conductor; Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, the cellist of the infamous Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. Both shared a love for the classical German music.

Directed by Christian Berger, Music Under the Swastika - The Maestro and the Cellist of Auschwitz leans on a strong ensemble — Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Kathrin Ackermann, Daniel Barenboim — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2022.