Film Lens
Stalags is a 2008 Israeli documentary directed by Ari Libsker that examines the phenomenon of Stalags, a genre of pornography books that depicted female Nazi officers abusing male prisoners in concentration camps. These pocket books gained immense popularity in Israel during the 1960s, particularly around the time of the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The film discusses how these books broke sales records and became a controversial part of Israeli culture during that period.
As the documentary unfolds, it addresses the backlash faced by the authors once they were accused of distributing antisemitic pornography, which led to a decline in the books' popularity. The film, produced by Barak Heymann, was released in limited theaters on April 9, 2008, and runs for 63 minutes, providing a critical look at a complex intersection of history, sexuality, and societal response in post-Holocaust Israel.
Why Watch
- •See how Stalags broke sales records in the 1960s.
- •Find out why authors faced accusations of antisemitic pornography.
- •Meet the cultural context around the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Did You Know
•Stalags sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Israel during the 1960s.
•The documentary opened in limited release on April 9, 2008.
•Rotten Tomatoes reported that 50% of critics gave the film positive reviews.
Perfect For
Israeli cultural studiesHolocaust literatureSexuality in history