Netflix World War II Hidden Gem Is A Must-Watch True Story
The events of The Photographer of Mauthausen follow a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp who risked his life to reveal the atrocities he witnessed to the rest of the world. Based on an incredible true story, Francisco Boix manages to smuggle photo negatives out of the camp, gathering and preserving evidence of the crimes being committed there. The story is a compelling one that became a passion project for director Mar Targonara, who planned to make a different kind of WWII film.
Boix’s Story
At 20 years old, Spanish Communist Boix, originally from Catalán, was exiled from Spain following Franco’s victory and joined the French army before being captured by the Nazis.
The young Boix becomes an indispensable assistant to the camp photographer, giving him access to film negatives that document the depravity of his Nazi captors, and manages to smuggle 2,000 of them out of the camp. The Photographer of Mauthausen tells the story of Boix, following his heroic effort to collect and transport the evidence.
Addressing A Historical Blind Spot
Part of the reason this story isn’t widely known is that the subject of Franco’s collaboration with the Nazis is still taboo to some in Spain. Because of this history, many people don’t know that there were Spanish prisoners in German concentration camps and about 7,500 at Mauthausen where the film takes place.
For director Mar Targarona, The Photographer of Mauthausen is an opportunity to explore this blindspot, shed light on Spanish resistance fighters, and tell the story of WWII in Spain as well.
From Producer To Director
Mar Targarona made the leap from producing movies, most famously The Orphanage, to making her directorial debut with The Photographer of Mauthausen, seeking a project she felt compelled by.
She snapped up the screenplay from veteran screenwriters Roger Danés and Alfred Pérez Fargas several years ago, putting the project into a development process that lasted about 4 years.
The team delved into the history of Mauthausen and dug up details about the story of Boix to put together the film in the most authentic way possible.
Full Color
Photography is centered in the film, as it’s the driving force for the protagonist, so The Photographer of Mauthausen avoids the cliche of creating muted, low-contrast scenes.
Instead, the director aimed for full-color, full-force images that don’t shy away from the reality of the subject matter by creating distance for the audience through using a grainy filter. This precision allows the story to seem more palpable, allowing the film to tell a story that feels closer in space and time to the audience than other historical films about WWII.
Stream It Now
The elements of suspense and adventure allow the story of this film some relief from the terror and dread of its location. The mission that Boix takes on to tell the world the truth of Nazi crimes gives The Photographer of Mauthausen somewhat of an adventurous impression and allows the audience to root for Boix as he carefully preserves his negatives. The near misses and series of steps taken to secure the evidence add to the overall tense atmosphere of the film.
