Rape of Europa

I saw this great movie today – amazing use of archival footage in service of an innovative telling of art and cultural history.
See it if you can -

http://www.rapeofeuropa.com/

A life time of research and digging couldn’t get mere souls access to
the archives that the makers of this movie were able to access – so go
see it – go see it – go see it! (it’s leaving NY soon)

View trailer: http://therapeofeuropa.com/videosTheTrailer.aspx

Only one place in the city to see it:
http://citycinemas.moviefone.com/showtimes/theater.adp?theaterid=922
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This documentary features unbelievable archive photo and film footage
of the Nazi’s tear through the art collections of Jewish art dealers
and major European art collections.

Actual footage of the evacuation of the Louvre, Hermitage, major
European Jewish art galleries and the Uffizi are shown. As well as
shots of Hitler’s watercolors and architectural sketches – in his own
hand.

Here are some highlights – there are way more -it’s a see twice documentary!

Photos of the burning of Tchaikovsky’s original manuscripts

Careless handling of Vermeer’s “Astronomer” and other master works

Curators who protected collections by any means necessary

Video footage of the triumphant return of art on military trucks to
the Uffizi complex – crowds and trumpeters pack the piazza in front
of the Palazzo Vecchio

Shots of the building of bricks around the “David” in Florence to
protect from bombing

Aerial shot of a decimated Florence – all bridges bombed except Ponte Vecchio

True shots of the evacuation of the Louvre – the “Mona Lisa” got it’s
own transport – in the form of an ambulance that hid a sealed
microclimate and the curator (who passed out because the microclimate
was set to preserve the painting not the curator)

Russia declaring that any art stolen from the Germans (which includes
art confiscated from Jews) officially belong to Russia – trophy art is
a reality of war

National Gallery of Art – sending Monument Men to guard, preserve,
repair European treasures – one of whom went on to become the
director of the Met – another personally responsible for the returns
made to the Uffizi

This documentary is about history, the attempt to decimate people,
culture and memory, and of course phenomenal use of archives.