Murer - Anatomy of a Trial

Nearly 20 years passed before Franz Murer went on trial in Graz. From 1941 to 1943, the former local politician and landowner was one of the main people responsible for the killing of Jews interned in the Vilnius Ghetto. Simon Wiesenthal had to intervene in order for the "Butcher of Vilnius" to be brought to trial in 1962. Survivors of the mass murder traveled to Graz to testify against him in the name of justice. Nonetheless, Franz Murer was acquitted. Basing his narrative on original court records, director Christian Frosch tells the story behind this scandalous decision and sheds light on the political calculations that led to it. (Filmfest München)