Historical docudrama from Germany about the infamous Nazi doctor who escaped justice. (The original title, “Das Verschwinden des Josef Mengele,” is simply the same phrase in German.)
Mengele’s fugitive years in South America told from his point of view. The notorious Nazi doctor found refuge in South America at the end of WWII, in Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. He was never captured, living until 1979 without having been judged for his crimes.
At one time, the Americans held him prisoner under his real name, but failed to realize his significance, and released him. Before his flight to South America, he managed to live four more years in Europe under false identities, including a long stint as a simple farmhand. He somehow managed to elude capture for a quarter of a century in South America, and was eventually buried under the false name of Wolfgang Gerhard. His remains were disinterred and positively identified by forensic examination in 1985 and DNA analysis in 1992.
Annamaria Lang
Dana Herfurth
Trailer:
I think he was also part inspiration for the role of the sadist dentist played by Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man.
And there he is played by Gregory Peck in Boys From Brazil.
My favourite Mengele fact (which I learned on the Behind the Bastards podcast) is that for some reason everyone remembers him as angelically beautiful. Contrary to what you’ll see if you look at any photos of him. Which just goes to show, memories are sometimes more about vibes!
reminded me to rewatch “Hunters” (Amazon Prime original) with Pacino in of his (many) over the top roles but supported by an all-star cast. Revenge porn at its finest.