Spioni de ocazie

The story of these spies recruited by the MI9 military intelligence department is largely unknown. With their knowledge of languages, this small group of eastern European Jews was predestined to work in their native countries. Unlikely spies, they had to be familiarised with everyday life and the now different use of language in the German-occupied or fascist collaborationist Quisling regimes. Their tasks included looking for escape routes for captured pilots, collecting information on the persecution of the Jews and examining possibilities for rescue operations. Oana Giurgiu approaches what is a complex subject matter by giving it the form of an aesthetically impressive photo-story: Archive recordings alternate with re-animated photos and interview footage with descendants in order to make the personal experiences of those involved accessible and convey the oppressive atmosphere of the 1940s. Giurgiu is concerned with the "simple, personal stories which are to be found behind the 'great historic deeds', as important moments in the history of a people are often described. In my film, the 'big history' will be built from personal stories."

Text: Bernd Buder

Weltspiegel Room 2: Original version with English subtitles