NJJFF: The Spoils

Post-screening Q&A with Janet Cohen Mandel, arts educator and a frequent speaker at JCC MetroWest

Director: Jamie Kastner
2024, Canada, 104 minutes
English, German with English subtitles
Documentary

A series of failed attempts by the city of Düsseldorf to honor German-Jewish art dealer, Max Stern, who barely escaped the war, cuts to the heart of the current crisis in the art world around the restitution of Nazi-looted art. Through a combination of exclusive interviews, footage captured over a four-year period, and rare archival footage, The Spoils traces the tragic, ironic ongoing battle – painting by painting, sketch by sketch – over questions of ownership, history, and morality.

Following the film, arts educator Janet Cohen Mandel, a favorite speaker at JCC MetroWest, will discuss the broader history of Nazi-looted art and post-War efforts to return that property to its rightful owners.

Host or Publisher JCC MetroWest