Synopsis
Between the years 1933 and 1939, over 800 Jewish members of the German film industry would flee the Nazis and make their way to Hollywood. Adapting to a new culture and homeland, they would soon have a massive impact on American cinema through their influence on genres ranging from comedy, horror, drama and film noir. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver and told through film clips, interviews, home movies, photographs and rare archival footage, Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood explores the personal and professional experiences of emigres Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Fred Zinnemann, Peter Lorre, Curt Siodmak, Franz Waxman and others who led to the creation of such enduring classics as Bride of Frankenstein, Ninotchka, The Wolf Man, Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard, The Big Heat and High Noon.