Leica cameras, leftists, Jews, and Nazis: film screening and panel discussion
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
- Venue
- SOAS University of London
- Room
- Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT)
- Event type
- Film screening
About this event
Join the SOAS ICOP Student Society for a special screening of the documentary, Der Rabbi, die Nazis und die Kamera (The Nazis, the Rabbi and the Camera), followed by a panel discussion.
During the Third Reich, Leitz walked a dangerous tightrope, actively helping persecuted individuals (which included leftist political opponents, Jewish citizens, and enslaved laborers) escape concentration camps and certain death. Because Leitz never spoke publicly about his altruistic actions before his death in 1956, this incredible story of resistance remained hidden for decades. In the film, the story is recounted by London rabbi Dr Frank Dabba Smith and New York photography professor Jill Enfield, whose own family was rescued by Leitz.
Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion under the theme: how can we break the cycle of intergenerational transmission of trauma so that we can somehow live together (from Nazi Germany through to Palestine-Israel)? The panel will explore the grey areas of business leadership under authoritarian and genocidal regimes, as well as the importance of dialogue groups between descendants of victims and perpetrators to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
About the speakers
Claus Bredenbrock is the director of The Nazis, the Rabbi and the Camera. The documentary was produced in Germany in 2022 for ZDF/ARTE and Florianfilm GmbH.
Oliver Nass is the grandson and direct descendant of Ernst Leitz II. He will offer a personal perspective on his grandfather's legacy and the complexities of his actions during the Nazi era.
Frank Dabba Smith is a London-based rabbi, photographer, and the primary subject of the documentary. Rejecting "black-and-white thinking," he traveled to Germany as a young man to understand the country that was responsible for the deaths of his relatives in Poland, yet also produced his greatest passion: the Leica 35mm camera. His PhD research focuses on Ernst Leitz II's efforts to help the persecuted during the Nazi regime. Dr Smith is also actively involved in German dialogue groups that bring together the descendants of both victims and perpetrators to foster healing and understanding.
Chair
Alison Scott-Baumann is Professor of Society and Belief at SOAS University of London. In 2019 she and her research team completed a three year AHRC grant to analyse representations of Islam and Muslims on university campuses (2015 to 2018). She speaks on BBC Radio 4, 5live, Times Radio and Radio Wales and writes for the Guardian and several higher education blogs. Alison applies modern philosophy (Ricoeurian) to social justice issues. Her recent publication includes, How to Develop Free Speech on Campus: International Controversies and Communities of Inquiry (2025), edited by Alison Frances Scott-Baumann and Hasan Pandor.
