Amen

The events occur during the Second World War, as Germany expands across Europe and implements mass murder policies. The SS Hygiene Institute and the use of Zyklon B anchor the period's supposed rationality corroding into atrocity. The narrative sits in a time of urgent moral choices, secrecy, and the struggle to reveal the truth before Allied victory.

The story unfolds across Rome and the Vatican, while the war rages across Nazi-occupied Europe. The setting shifts from the fortified gates of the Vatican to the grim realities of extermination camps, crematoria, and mass graves. Key scenes take place at trains departing Jews from occupied Europe and at the camp, where life and death collide under the Nazi regime.

🕯️ Moral Responsibility

The film centers on the obligation to bear witness to genocide. Gerstein and Fontana wrestle with personal risk to expose crimes, illustrating that moral duty persists even when institutions stay silent. It emphasizes that individual courage can illuminate collective culpability and provoke action.

🏛️ Institutional Silence

The Vatican and other authorities respond with cautious condemnation or inaction. The narrative probes how faith communities and political power can falter in the face of atrocity. Silence becomes a form of complicity that haunts every decision.

📜 Documentation and Witness

Gerstein compiles evidence of the atrocities in an attempt to deliver it to the Allies. The power and fragility of documentation are shown as beacons amid wartime denial and delay. The film underscores how truth-telling confronts indifference and seeks accountability.

✝️ Faith under Pressure

Fontana's Catholic faith is tested as he acts in defense of victims despite institutional limits. The clash between religious duty and political reality is explored through acts of solidarity and sacrifice. Faith becomes both a source of courage and a potential liability under a genocidal regime.