The Spoils
New York Jewish Film Festival 2025
January 15 - 29, 2025
The ongoing dilemmas around the reclamation, ownership, and exhibition of art looted by the Nazis during WWII form the center of Jamie Kastner’s absorbing documentary about the legacy of Max Stern, a German Jewish art dealer who escaped to Canada in 1937.
Post-screening discussion with director Jamie Kastner and Clarence Epstein and Willi Korte of Max Stern Art Restitution Project on Jan. 21
The ongoing dilemmas around the reclamation, ownership, and exhibition of art looted by the Nazis during WWII are the focus of Canadian filmmaker Jamie Kastner’s absorbing documentary. At the center of the film is the case of Max Stern, a German Jewish art dealer who escaped to Canada in 1937 after he was forced by the Nazis to liquidate his gallery. In Montreal, Stern became a successful collector, dealer, and gallerist renowned for his generosity. Kastner’s film shows how a series of failed attempts by the city of Düsseldorf to honor Stern opens up many issues around the restitution of Nazi-looted art. Filmed across four years, featuring contemporary and archival footage, The Spoils marks the urgency of this moment in the art world, which will have lasting historical consequences for the future as many try to right the wrongs of the past.
Closed captions are available with our capti-view devices for all screenings.
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