Mendelssohn, the Nazis, and Me(2009)

movie - first aired/released 2009-06-27

Directed by Sheila Hayman

Felix Mendelssohn, of Wedding March fame, was a devout Christian - and also a Jew. This became an embarrassment for the Nazis, who tried desperately to write Germany's most beloved music out of history. Meanwhile his part-Jewish descendants were forced to hunt for enough evidence of Aryan blood to stay alive. The composer's descendant, director Sheila Hayman, explores the effects on Felix's reputation, on the family and on the Jews of Germany, through music and through interviews with family members who lived through it. A film about the madness of labels, and the unifying power of music.