The Propagandist

Jan Teunissen (1898-1975) loved films. He loved them so much, he shot daily home movies of his children, became a professional director, and made the first Dutch film with sound. And when the Nazis occupied Holland, he started making films for them too. Was he a true believer? An anti-Semite? An opportunist? And does it matter? THE PROPAGANDIST tells Teunissen’s story through home movies, newsreels, propaganda films, and extensive interviews conducted decades after the war by two historians. Although he was head of the Dutch Nazi Party’s Film Department — overseeing films on everything from the genetic superiority of Dutch cows to celebrations of Nazi leadership — Teunissen always claimed he was just trying to build the local film industry and create opportunities for film crews. In addition to interviews with Teunissen, THE PROPAGANDIST also includes archival conversations from his fellow wartime filmmakers and cinematographers, some of whom worked hard to eradicate all traces of their Nazi past. In an age of rising authoritarianism, THE PROPAGANDIST is an engrossing study of how even those serving the most brutal regimes minimize their contributions and ultimately try to justify their actions.