The Unimaginable Journey of Peter Ertel

The subject of Joseph Cahn’s documentary is Peter Ertel, who was 96 years old when this film was shot. Ertel’s life odyssey is nothing short of astonishing: born in Germany, he was conscripted into Hitler’s army despite being a self-proclaimed pacifist and a sarcastic critic of the Nazi philosophy. He survived the military battles on the Russian front, rising to the role of platoon leader. Returning to Germany, Ertel sought to escape the war by surrendering himself to American forces. He was transferred as a prisoner of war to the U.S. and sent to a camp in Alabama where he learned English. After the war, Ertel was recruited by the State Department and returned to Germany to work with the occupying forces in rebuilding the country. He came back to the U.S. with his wife in 1953 and settled in Cleveland, where he took a job with a company owned by Orthodox Jews. Cahn weaves a compelling tapestry of historical footage and personal photographs to trace Ertel’s biography, but the key is having Ertel as the on-camera narrator—Ertel is an excellent raconteur who tells a provocative and emotionally enriching life story. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)