Killing Kasztner
Encyclopedia
Killing Kasztner is a feature-length theatrical documentary
directed by Gaylen Ross
. The film features the director and her search for the truth about Rezso Kasztner
. The director first heard about Kasztner from a Hungarian woman while working on another documentary, Blood Money: Switzerland's Nazi Gold. Ross interviewed the woman who asserted that she had Kasztner to thank for her life . What Ross came to learn was that Kasztner was a Jew in Hungary
whose negotiations with the Nazis during World War II
resulted in the rescue of 1,700 Jews. And perhaps tens of thousands more Jews were saved from the gas chambers because of his negotiation. After Kasztner moved to Israel, in the 1950s, he was accused of being a collaborator and fought a vicious libel battle in a trial that condemned him as, "the man who sold his soul to the Devil." He was subsequently killed in 1957 in Tel Aviv
.
Ross spent eight years researching and filming the documentary on Kasztner. She interviewed survivors who had been rescued by Kasztner, some of Kasztner's living relatives, the son of the opposing lawyer in Kasztner's case, historians, journalists, and eventually Kasztner's assassin, Ze'ev Eckstein.
The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
and has been critically acclaimed in Israel, Hungary, and the UK. It is scheduled for release in the United States on October 23, 2009.
in New York City
. What was supposed to be an academic forum exploded in bitter outrage. Accusations of Kasztner's collaboration with the Nazis were met with outrage by Kasztner survivors.
Kasztner's granddaughter, a young human rights lawyer, stood and faced the crowd. She wanted to know why her grandfather was still being blamed for the deaths of Jews he could not save? Ross wondered the same thing.
Ross details Kasztner's rescue efforts as well as the accusations against Kasztner and the trial. She tracks down the legacy of that murderous night and the man convicted for Kasztner's death: Ze'ev Eckstein.
In another mysterious twist to this already strange tale, Eckstein with the other conspirators spent only 7 years of their life-sentence in jail after their sentences were commuted on the recommendation of Israel's first Prime Minister
, Ben Gurion
.
Eckstein reveals step by step his transformation into an assassin. He tells Ross how he was 20 years-old when he was first employed by Israel's fledgling secret service. He then turned double agent by right wing extremists and saw his chance to make his name. In Eckstein's eyes he was avenging the hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews whose deaths were blamed on Kasztner. As the film unfolds, Eckstein and Ross eventually revisit the scene of the crime, the first time he had ever been back. What he tells Ross, he says, he has told no one else.
The film brings its audience, survivors, and the Kasztner family to the doorsteps of those who shape history. To Yad Vashem
in Israel, the world's memorial for the Holocaust, to the museums in New York, and to the concentration camp of Bergen Belsen where Kasztner's group was held hostage.
Most predominantly, the film sets up an extraordinary meeting between Kasztner's daughter and her father's assassin.
, on the Transylvania
border. He later became a leader of the small Zionist rescue group, Va'adat Ezrah Vehatzalah (Vaada), or Aid and Rescue Committee
, in Budapest
during World War II
. Part of his involvement with the organization was to negotiate with senior SS officer, Adolf Eichmann
, to arrange the release of Hungarian Jews to Switzerland
. His trainload of 1,700 people was delivered out of Budapest. The group was held hostage for months in a concentration camp, Bergen Belsen, before finally being freed. Historian as well believe that partially because of Kasztner's negotiations tens of thousands of other Jews were sent to a labor camp of Strasshof and saved from death in Auschwitz.
During the last days of the war on the orders of Himmmler Kasztner rode with SS Standartenführer (colonel) Kurt Becher
who was Commissar of all German concentration camps, and Chief of the Economic Department of the SS Command in Hungary during the German occupation in 1944, halting the liquidations in the death camps of Theresienstadt and Mauthausen
.
, of making a secret deal with Eichmann in order to save his, "prominent train of Jews."
Those who opposed Kasztner claimed that he had betrayed the Jews of Hungary by not warning them of the gas chambers in Auschwitz and made it easier for Eichmann to murder them without resistance. Kasztner, then a member of the Israeli government, was forced to sue for libel to protect his name. Kasztner thought he would be proclaimed a hero. Instead, the trial and the public turned against him.
The Kasztner Trial, as it became known, was the first time that the Holocaust was publicly discussed in Israel. As a new nation, Israel was making heroes of those who fought and resisted, not those who sat down with one's enemies. This was a generation whose oath was, "Never Again
." The trial became politicized and those who opposed Prime Minister Ben-Gurion's Mapai
party used the trial to undermine the government. They drew parallels of collaboration—Kasztner negotiating with the Germans for a train, Ben-Gurion negotiating with the British for a nation. Kasztner was also caught lying about an affidavit given on behalf of former Nazi SS Officer, Kurt Becher
. He attested that the testimony was given on behalf of the Jewish Agency, but the court did not believe him. His negotiations with Nazis branded him a collaborator. The verdict of the trial went against Kasztner. The judge decreed that Kasztner had, "Sold his soul to the devil." Most of the verdict was later overturned by the Supreme court, but not before Kasztner was killed in front of his Tel Aviv home in 1957. Kasztner's death was considered the first political assassination of the newly formed state of Israel. Kasztner’s only daughter Zsuzsi was just 12 years old when her father was murdered.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
directed by Gaylen Ross
Gaylen Ross
Gaylen Ross is an American actress, writer, producer and director.Ross starred in George A. Romero's 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead and later in Creepshow – and in the 1982 horror film Madman under the pseudonym 'Alexis Dubin'...
. The film features the director and her search for the truth about Rezso Kasztner
Rudolf Kastner
Rudolf Israel Kastner was a Jewish-Hungarian journalist and lawyer who became known for facilitating the departure of Jews out of Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust...
. The director first heard about Kasztner from a Hungarian woman while working on another documentary, Blood Money: Switzerland's Nazi Gold. Ross interviewed the woman who asserted that she had Kasztner to thank for her life . What Ross came to learn was that Kasztner was a Jew in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
whose negotiations with the Nazis during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
resulted in the rescue of 1,700 Jews. And perhaps tens of thousands more Jews were saved from the gas chambers because of his negotiation. After Kasztner moved to Israel, in the 1950s, he was accused of being a collaborator and fought a vicious libel battle in a trial that condemned him as, "the man who sold his soul to the Devil." He was subsequently killed in 1957 in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
.
Ross spent eight years researching and filming the documentary on Kasztner. She interviewed survivors who had been rescued by Kasztner, some of Kasztner's living relatives, the son of the opposing lawyer in Kasztner's case, historians, journalists, and eventually Kasztner's assassin, Ze'ev Eckstein.
The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
and has been critically acclaimed in Israel, Hungary, and the UK. It is scheduled for release in the United States on October 23, 2009.
Pre-production
In June 2001, Ross was invited to film the only conference on Kasztner to occur in the United States. It took place at the new Museum of Jewish HeritageMuseum of Jewish Heritage
The Museum of Jewish Heritage, located in lower Manhattan, is a living memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust. The Museum honors those who died by celebrating their lives – cherishing the traditions that they embraced, examining their achievements and faith, and affirming the vibrant...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. What was supposed to be an academic forum exploded in bitter outrage. Accusations of Kasztner's collaboration with the Nazis were met with outrage by Kasztner survivors.
Kasztner's granddaughter, a young human rights lawyer, stood and faced the crowd. She wanted to know why her grandfather was still being blamed for the deaths of Jews he could not save? Ross wondered the same thing.
Synopsis
Kasztner's daughter and three granddaughters seek redemption for their family name. Some survivors of his transport want the shame erased from their rescue. Their lives, they have been told, were delivered at the expense of others. On the other side, a young and ineffective lawyer, whose father was responsible for Kasztner's legal defeat, wants to fulfill his father's wish: to keep the Kasztner name from joining the legion of Holocaust heroes.Ross details Kasztner's rescue efforts as well as the accusations against Kasztner and the trial. She tracks down the legacy of that murderous night and the man convicted for Kasztner's death: Ze'ev Eckstein.
In another mysterious twist to this already strange tale, Eckstein with the other conspirators spent only 7 years of their life-sentence in jail after their sentences were commuted on the recommendation of Israel's first Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Ben Gurion
Ben Gurion
Ben Gurion can refer to the following persons:* Nicodemus ben Gurion, a Biblical figure, probably a rich Jewish member of the Sanhedrin that felt sympathetic to Jesus Christ...
.
Eckstein reveals step by step his transformation into an assassin. He tells Ross how he was 20 years-old when he was first employed by Israel's fledgling secret service. He then turned double agent by right wing extremists and saw his chance to make his name. In Eckstein's eyes he was avenging the hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews whose deaths were blamed on Kasztner. As the film unfolds, Eckstein and Ross eventually revisit the scene of the crime, the first time he had ever been back. What he tells Ross, he says, he has told no one else.
The film brings its audience, survivors, and the Kasztner family to the doorsteps of those who shape history. To Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
in Israel, the world's memorial for the Holocaust, to the museums in New York, and to the concentration camp of Bergen Belsen where Kasztner's group was held hostage.
Most predominantly, the film sets up an extraordinary meeting between Kasztner's daughter and her father's assassin.
Negotiations
Rezso Kasztner was a lawyer and journalist originally from ClujCluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, on the Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
border. He later became a leader of the small Zionist rescue group, Va'adat Ezrah Vehatzalah (Vaada), or Aid and Rescue Committee
Aid and Rescue Committee
The Aid and Rescue Committee, or Va'adat Ha-Ezrah ve-ha-Hatzalah be-Budapesht was a small committee of Zionists based in Budapest in 1944-5, who were dedicated to helping Jews escape the Holocaust during the German occupation of Hungary.The main personalities of the Vaada were Dr...
, in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Part of his involvement with the organization was to negotiate with senior SS officer, Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
, to arrange the release of Hungarian Jews to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. His trainload of 1,700 people was delivered out of Budapest. The group was held hostage for months in a concentration camp, Bergen Belsen, before finally being freed. Historian as well believe that partially because of Kasztner's negotiations tens of thousands of other Jews were sent to a labor camp of Strasshof and saved from death in Auschwitz.
During the last days of the war on the orders of Himmmler Kasztner rode with SS Standartenführer (colonel) Kurt Becher
Kurt Becher
Kurt Andreas Ernst Becher was an SS Untersturmführer and later a Standartenführer who was Commissar of all German concentration camps, and Chief of the Economic Department of the SS Command in Hungary during the German occupation in 1944.- SS Background :Becher was born to a wealthy family...
who was Commissar of all German concentration camps, and Chief of the Economic Department of the SS Command in Hungary during the German occupation in 1944, halting the liquidations in the death camps of Theresienstadt and Mauthausen
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
.
The Trial
When Kasztner moved to Israel he was accused by a survivor, Malchiel GruenwaldMalchiel Gruenwald
Malchiel Gruenwald was an Israeli hotelier, amateur journalist and stamp collector, who came to public attention in 1953, when he accused an Israeli government employee, Rudolf Kastner, of having collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust.- Biography :Gruenwald was born in Hungary, and...
, of making a secret deal with Eichmann in order to save his, "prominent train of Jews."
Those who opposed Kasztner claimed that he had betrayed the Jews of Hungary by not warning them of the gas chambers in Auschwitz and made it easier for Eichmann to murder them without resistance. Kasztner, then a member of the Israeli government, was forced to sue for libel to protect his name. Kasztner thought he would be proclaimed a hero. Instead, the trial and the public turned against him.
The Kasztner Trial, as it became known, was the first time that the Holocaust was publicly discussed in Israel. As a new nation, Israel was making heroes of those who fought and resisted, not those who sat down with one's enemies. This was a generation whose oath was, "Never Again
Never Again
-Albums:* Never Again * Never Again * Never Again , or the title song* Never Again , or the title song-Songs:* "Never Again" * "Never Again"...
." The trial became politicized and those who opposed Prime Minister Ben-Gurion's Mapai
Mapai
Mapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
party used the trial to undermine the government. They drew parallels of collaboration—Kasztner negotiating with the Germans for a train, Ben-Gurion negotiating with the British for a nation. Kasztner was also caught lying about an affidavit given on behalf of former Nazi SS Officer, Kurt Becher
Kurt Becher
Kurt Andreas Ernst Becher was an SS Untersturmführer and later a Standartenführer who was Commissar of all German concentration camps, and Chief of the Economic Department of the SS Command in Hungary during the German occupation in 1944.- SS Background :Becher was born to a wealthy family...
. He attested that the testimony was given on behalf of the Jewish Agency, but the court did not believe him. His negotiations with Nazis branded him a collaborator. The verdict of the trial went against Kasztner. The judge decreed that Kasztner had, "Sold his soul to the devil." Most of the verdict was later overturned by the Supreme court, but not before Kasztner was killed in front of his Tel Aviv home in 1957. Kasztner's death was considered the first political assassination of the newly formed state of Israel. Kasztner’s only daughter Zsuzsi was just 12 years old when her father was murdered.
The filmmakers
- Gaylen RossGaylen RossGaylen Ross is an American actress, writer, producer and director.Ross starred in George A. Romero's 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead and later in Creepshow – and in the 1982 horror film Madman under the pseudonym 'Alexis Dubin'...
is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She has directed and written documentary films including Dealers Among Dealers, which debuted on the POV series on PBS as aminside look at the secretive world of New York's famous diamond row, 47th street. The film was selected for the Berlin Film Festival, Montreal World Film FestivalMontreal World Film FestivalThe Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
, Haifa Film Festival, and more. In addition, it was awarded a Gold Plaque from the Chicago Film Festival and named, "Best of Fest," in the Edinburgh Film Festival. Ross also wrote and produced the Emmy award winning Blood Money: Switzerland's Nazi Gold. The feature-length documentary had its theatrical premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. As an actress she starred in Dawn of the Dead and CreepshowCreepshowCreepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
.
- Tony Tabatznik served as executive producer for Killing Kasztner and founded DOCFACTORY, a UK based documentary consortium. DOCFACTORY's award-winning portfolio includes KZ and Black Gold, both of which were nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in Documentary World Cinema at the 2006 Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
- Andy Cohen was a co-writer and producer of the movie. He also co-produced Dealers Among Dealers with Ross. Cohen wrote, produced, and directed Out of Ruins, which is currently in post-production. Out of Ruins is a rags to riches story about a colony of artists living in the former East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
after the wall was torn down. For his most recent project, Cohen is producing the Jackie Robinson Story in partnership with ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and Wildwood Productions.
- Noam Shalev, one of the producers, has been a documentary filmmaker since 1992. Shalev directed the award-winning documentaries Primetime War, Shooting Conflicts, and The Last StandThe Last StandThe Last Stand is the third group album from Hip Hop collective Boot Camp Clik, released on July 18, 2006. The group consists of Black Moon's Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun's Tek and Steele, Heltah Skeltah's Rock and Sean Price, and O.G.C.'s Starang Wondah, Louieville Sluggah and Top Dog. The album marks...
. His company, Highlight Films, recently produced the television series about Israeli army officers for Channel 2Channel 2 (Israel)Channel 2 is an Israeli commercial television channel.- History :In 1990, after 13 years of deliberations, the Knesset passed a law that paved the way for the establishment of commercial television in Israel. The goal was to enhance pluralism and create competition. Channel 2 began broadcasting on...
television.
- Gus Samios a producer of Killing Kasztner, is an attorney based in New York City who represents clients in the entertainment and other industries. He has produced films including the documentary Struggles in Steel which was presented at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Anne Feinsilber has produced films including Killing Kasztner, The Crossing, Brother, and Memoirs of My Nervous Illness. Her directorial debut, Requiem for Billy the Kid, was presented at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
- Blake LeyhBlake LeyhBlake Leyh is a composer, sound designer, and music supervisor.Leyh's prominent credits include music supervising HBO's television show The Wire, most notably the end theme called "The Fall" written by Leyh especially for the show and composing original scores for the films of Kirby Dick Blake...
held the composed for this film. Leyh has composed scores for more than a dozen feature films, among them the award-winning documentaries Pray the Devil Back to HellPray the Devil Back to HellPray the Devil Back to Hell is a documentary film directed by Gini Reticker and produced by Abigail Disney. The film premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Documentary. The film had its theatrical release in New York City on November 7, 2008.The film documents...
, Twist of FaithTwist of FaithTwist of Faith is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Kirby Dick about a man who confronts the Catholic Church about the abuse he suffered as a teenager. The film was produced for the cable network HBO and screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival...
, and Supermasochist. He also composed the theme music for HBO's dramatic series "The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
", and was music supervisor for its first five seasons. He is now music supervisor for the new HBO series "TremeTremeTremé is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Mid-City District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west...
".
- Bob Richman, director of photography for the film, is an award winning documentary cinematographer. He won the Best Cinematography award at the 2009 Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
for The September IssueThe September IssueThe September Issue is a 2009 American documentary film about the behind-the-scenes drama that follows editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her staff during the production of the September 2007 issue of American Vogue magazine. The film is directed by R.J. Cutler and produced by Eliza Hindmarch and...
. His other credits include Academy Award winner, An Inconvenient TruthAn Inconvenient TruthAn Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...
, and Academy Award nominee, My ArchitectMy ArchitectMy Architect: A Son's Journey is a 2003 documentary film about the American architect Louis Kahn. Kahn led an extraordinary career and left three families behind when he died of a heart attack in a Penn Station bathroom....
.
- Roni Kaldaron, director of photography, is an Israeli cinematographers with dozens of theatrical, documentary and television credits. His latest documentary is Magnificent Failure, the story of South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
artist and jazz musician Harold Rubin.
Reviews
- "Ten Best Films of the Year...Gaylen Ross' Killing Kasztner, a fascinating look at a mostly forgotten page of Israeli history." -Hannah Brown, The Jerusalem Post
- "...a highly personal, haunting account of a man whose name can still prompt tears of both gratitude and rage." -The Telegraph UK
- “...A remarkable documentary....It provides, for the first time in more than half a century, direct testimony from the convicted assassin, Ze’ev Eckstein.” -Jenni Frazer, The Jewish Chronicle, UK
- "A comprehensive and profound film... fascinating and humane treatment of one of the biggest disputes in the early days of the State of Israel" -Ruta Kupfer, Haaretz
- "Gaylen Ross's excellent documentary speaks to those who Kasztner saved, and to his doubters. It also sets up an extraordinary meeting between Kasztner's daughter and the man who assassinated him." -Hannah Pool, The Guardian UK
- "...fascinating documentary about the most inflammatory political murder of the 1950s, the murder of Dr. Israel Kastner, included a first, hair-raising interview with the murderer, Ze'ev Eckstein....the time has come to ask Kastner's forgiveness. Perhaps this important film will carry out the historical task, in a place where Kastner has no monument and no memorial, except for his grave..." -Gideon Levy, Haaretz
- "...A remarkable documentary....Ross’s film does three extraordinary things. It provides, for the first time in more than half a century, direct testimony from the convicted assassin, Ze’ev Eckstein" -Jenni Frazer, The Jewish Chronicle UK
- “Even if you are familiar with the story of Israel Kasztner – even if you followed his trial and recall his shocking murder outside his Tel Aviv home in March 1957, as well as the trial of his assassins…watching Ross’s movie is still a fascinating experience, and that is, in many ways, one of the director’s foremost accomplishments…Ross does all this wisely and lucidly-- a fact that carries special importance given the current surge of both Israeli and foreign movies about the memory of the Holocaust, many of which lack the necessary emotional and conceptual eloquence to confront this memory and implications for contemporary Israeli reality." - Uri Klein, Haaretz Guide
- "As someone who knows the dramatic ability of the medium in which she works, Ross offers an emotional and loaded conflict … Killing Kasztner is a lesson in documentary filmmaking. The film is strong, difficult, shocking, reaching far beyond the limited aims of an historical story. It is an emotional and fascinating film, one of those documentaries that turn history into a living lesson in civics." -Gidi Orsher, Galeil Tzahal
- "Alongside the sirens, tears, memories and speeches, this year's Holocaust Day in Israel was also influenced by the screening of Killing Kastner, a groundbreaking two-hour documentary directed by Gaylen Ross about the murder in Tel Aviv of Yisrael Kastner by another Jew, Zeev Ekstein, in 1957." -Hillel Schenker, The Guardian UK
- “Bargaining With the Devil: Documentary Focuses on Rudolf Kasztner, Shoa Traitor — Or Hero "...it deserves wide viewing simply for its compelling narration of Kasztner’s experiences during and after the war. Perhaps most important, the film addresses the very contemporary question of whether the man should be regarded as a Jewish hero — and what constitutes a hero." -Shlomo Schwartzberg, The Forward
- “ ….if we start from the point of view that a film's job is to arouse emotion and thought, then "Killing Kasztner" does this better than any film around. My screening partners and I were glued to the screen right up to the credits, and we continued to discuss what we had seen hours later. The Kasztner affair has just begun." -Avner Shavit, City Mouse
- “The Kasztner case still inflames tempers in Israel. The killing of Yitzhak Rabin shows that right-wing murder can still certainly happen there, and not just to Palestinians. At two hours and ten minutes, and with extended detailed testimony from a largely unrepentant Ze'ev Eckstein, who gives a step-by-step account of the shooting, the film takes you through a mini-history of Israel's contentious early days, and into debates have not been resolved. Expect Killing Kasztner to fuel those fires on the festival circuit after Toronto." - David D'Arcy Green Cine Daily
- "To an even greater degree than Oskar Schindler, Dr. Israel Kasztner played a key role in saving the lives of well over 1,000 Jews from the Holocaust ... Kasztner's tale thus speaks volumes about the complex loyalties, conflicting allegiances, and deep-seated confusion at the heart of World War II, and those are the gray areas explored by director Gaylen Ross in this penetrative documentary account of Kasztner's life. The film ultimately poses key questions about the extent to which collaboration with the enemy is morally acceptable in a time of war; it reveals the extent to which Kasztner touched innumerable lives, and features deeply moving interviews with Kasztner's family (who are still attempting to restore his legacy), even as it also features conversations with Kasztner's political opponents and detractors." -Nathan Southern, ALLMOVIE.COM
- "What we have is a clearly agenda-based film, focusing on the mundane details of the Kasztner family who have to detail with the lack of recognition from the Israeli people for their ancestor's efforts. ... [Killing Kasztner] is an incredibly partisan documentary that doesn't so much tell a story as shout at you until you bow in submission and offer, 'Sure, Gaylen, whatever you say.'" - Dave Bailey, 'Huddersfield Examiner UK'