JIFF: Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief

Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief

“Looking at breathtaking masterpieces and an extensive archive of personal letters, Plunderer reveals the dark underbelly of the international art world, much of it built upon wartime tragedy.” – Broadway World

“Intriguing insight.” – The Art Magazine

Australian Premiere

This thrilling, intricately layered documentary investigates the theft of thousands of artworks from Jewish families by Nazis during World War II. A key player in these war crimes was Bruno Lohse, an SS officer who became the art agent in Paris for Hermann Göring, one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi party. Despite being captured and interrogated by the Monuments Men, Lohse was acquitted and spent decades secretly dealing stolen art to some of the world’s most notable galleries.

Our guide through this fascinating story is historian Jonathan Petropoulos, who wrote the book Göring's Man in Paris: The Story of a Nazi Art Plunderer and His World, for which he interviewed Lohse dozens of times before his death in 2007. Petropoulos recounts the cat-and-mouse game he played with Lohse, leading to jaw-dropping discoveries of collusion with galleries and auction houses, and paintings stashed in bank vaults around Europe.

Rating

Unclassified 15+

Duration

118 min

Country

United States

Language

English, French, German (English subtitles)

Cast

Jonathan Petropoulos, Bruno Lohse

Director

Hugo Macgregor