REFLECTING HISTORY

THE MAN WHO SOLD EICHMANN AND MENGELE

THE NETHERLANDS , 2005, 50 min., Spanish, German, English, Dutch

Director: Roelf Van Til
Producer: Marie Anne Veenman
Script: Roelf Van Til
Cinematography: Arjan Kroon, Pablo Casal
Editing: Paul Vleeshouwers
Sound: Rob van der Veer, Mariano Rosendi
Production company: KRO Televison
Print Source:
KRO Televison
Postbus 25000, 1202 Hilversum
Tel.: (31) 35 671 9911
Fax: (31) 35 671 9285
www.omroep.nl/ncrv



The Man Who Sold Eichmann And Mengele

This exemplary documentary tells the story of a average-joe Dutchman who happened to befriend two notorious and wanted Nazi war criminals in Buenos Aires: Adolf Eichmann, the so-called architect of the Holocaust and Josef Mengele, known in the Nazi ranks as the angel of death. Willem Sassen, a volunteer Waffen SS during World War II, managed to escape from prison to start a new life as a journalist and businessman in Argentina. His seemingly clandestine existence is shattered when he meets a skinny pale man in a local bar who turns out to be Eichmann. Sassen quickly offers to help Eichmann with his memoirs in secret and becomes Eichmann’s trusted ghostwriter. A few years later Eichmann is kidnapped by the Israeli secret service and brought to Jerusalem to stand trial. To Eichmann’s surprise, Sassen’s documents play an important role in the prosecution. This captivating documentary film shows how a Dutch opportunist adventurer and “charming scoundrel” becomes a key figure for the Mossad, and a headhunter in their quest to apprehend Josef Mengele, who is ultimately never caught.

Roelf van Til started his career in Dutch radio, From 1987 on, he spent his time editing and reporting radio-items on domestic and foreign news. Touched by the events that led to the end of the cold war, he moved to Prague, formerly Czechoslovakia, to become Dutch and Belgium radio correspondent from 1990 to 1992. Back in Holland, he started his work as a reporter for Netwerk, a popular TV current affairs program. After almost ten years and hundreds of reportages, he decided to switch to making larger TV programs, particularly related to WWII. Next to the documentaries, Van Til runs a WebTV station concentrating on the introduction of renewable energy.

Filmography:

The Man Who Sold Eichmann And Mengele (2005)

FRIDAY, MARCH 30 AT 8:00 PM./THE WILMETTE THEATRE

SCREENING WITH THE PORTRAITIST

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 AT 1:00 PM./CHOPIN THEATRE

SCREENING WITH THE PORTRAITIST