A group of concentration camp inmates is recruited to serve the Nazis in Counterfeiters, a thought-provoking second world war drama about moral dilemmas.
Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, the movie won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar this year. It focuses on the ethical struggles of a team of Jewish printing experts who help the Nazis forge British pounds and US dollars to avoid execution.
The film stands out from the glut of war films which portray the hellish existence inside concentration camps. The focus is on the individuals who enjoy special treatment in return for their know-how.
At the centre of the operation are forgery master Sally (Karl Markovics) and the Communist Burger (August Diehl). While Sally submits to the Nazis in order to survive, the righteous Burger is determined to sabotage the operation for the sake of conscience and principles.
The contrast provides a poignant study in how big a compromise one is morally entitled to make in order to survive. Sally's integrity is called into question when he forges passports to ingratiate himself with the enemy.
However, his transgressions are eclipsed by his heroic acts when he does everything in his power to save his fellow inmates. The prisoners' successful escape makes it clear Sally is a hero in Ruzowitzky's eyes.