Atlanta Jewish Film Festival: The Spoils

A long-delayed exhibition featuring works once owned by a prominent German-Jewish art dealer unravels the complexities of Nazi-looted art and the moral questions surrounding restitution. Originally planned for 2018 at the Düsseldorf City Museum, the tribute to Max Stern was postponed for years due to disputes over ownership of stolen works. Stern’s estate focuses on two pivotal cases involving recompense of significant paintings—each marked by tense negotiations, legal battles, and public controversies that engaged lawyers, city officials, and even Düsseldorf’s former mayor. Through archival footage and provocative interviews, this incisive inquiry delves into broader ethical dilemmas and enduring scars of historical wrongs that still reverberate through the art world.