Jakob the liar

Poland, 1944. In the Jewish ghetto, Jakob Heym finds out by chance that the Red Army is advancing. To give the people around him renewed courage, he tells a white lie, claiming he has access to a hidden radio. The reports he shares offer hope to many – even though they cannot prevent the impending deportations.

JAKOB THE LIAR draws on Jurek Becker’s own experiences. As a child, Becker survived the Łódź ghetto and later Sachsenhausen concentration camp. He submitted the initial concept for the film to DEFA in 1963, but it was initially ignored. Only the success of the novel that later emerged from the idea led to the screen adaptation – one of DEFA’s most powerful films about humanity, courage and the fragile power of hope.

Image © PROGRESS Film-Verleih / Herbert Kroiss