The Future Shapes the Past: The Hilsner Case

Can a 127-year-old unsolved murder still influence global politics today? In 1899, a murder took place in what is now the Czech Republic, for which a young Jewish man, Leopold Hilsner, was falsely accused. The basis for this accusation was a charge of “ritual murder.” This was a bloody medieval slander that accused Jews of killing Christians for their blood, allegedly used in the production of matzo during the Passover holiday. Under this false pretext, Hilsner was convicted twice. The most shocking fact, however, is that despite thirty years of efforts to overturn the verdict, Leopold Hilsner remains legally guilty. The film combines elements of the true crime genre and historical documentary and attempts to shed light on two mysteries. The first is who the real perpetrator of the murder was, and the second, far more troubling, is the question of why Czech politicians are so reluctant to rehabilitate Hilsner, even though the same conspiracy myths are resurfacing on the internet and fueling contemporary anti-Semitism.