Hermann Weiskopf, Peter Mair and Richard Benston about his film Shattered night.
Emilie and Tom are preparing for their history exam. With their teacher, they reconstruct the events leading up to the murder of Richard Berger, President of the Jewish Community, who was killed by the Nazis during the Pogrom Night of 1938. Emilie travels to Israel and interviews Abi Bauer (born 1919), Erika Shomrony (born 1918) and Abraham Gafni (born 1928). They are witnesses to the events of 1938 in Innsbruck. Emilie is impressed by the interview with Richard Benson, grandson of Richard Berger. As a counterpoint Tom creates the character Werner, who becomes attracted to the Nazis. Eyewitness interviews and dramatic scenes portray the challenging decision taken by Richard Berger and his wife Grete to try to distance themselves from politics, but the Nazis make this impossible. Grete fears for her family. Particularly since Richard Berger chooses to allow his responsibility for the Jewish community to take priority. Grete wants to leave the Tirol, but Richard is committed to his Jewish neighbours. He won’t abandon the old and the helpless.