He's been called the 'American Schindler': Varian Fry, an oft-overlooked hero of Nazi resistance. The Netflix series 'Transatlantic' is based on the true story of the man who helped many persecuted people flee the Nazi regime. During the Second World War, the Emergency Rescue Committee helped around 2,000 people escape through Marseille, France.
A compelling story, but both historians and Varian Fry's descendants have criticized the series for embellishing reality. The roles of various rescuers have been altered, and important historical context - such as the 1938 international refugee conference in Evian, has been left out entirely. What we receive instead is a tale of love, glamor and drama in a fictionalized version of history.
Arts Unveiled sheds light on Transatlantic's historical context, speaking with Varian Fry's son, James D. Fry, as well as a filmmaker and descendants of those who faced persecution. But how could it have happened that so many people were forced to flee Germany and go into exile ?
Arts Unveiled takes a look at events some 90 years ago, and illuminates the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi dictatorship. On January 30, 1933, Hitler - as leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) - was appointed Chancellor by President Paul von Hindenburg. Within a few months, the Nazis had transformed the democratic Weimar Republic (1918 - 1933) into a dictatorship. How did Hitler seize power so quickly, and why did his ideology take root so thoroughly? The five key factors that enabled his seizure of power - in a compact summary.