Hitler's Big Fear: The Trial Against Degenerate Art (2026)

When art becomes a threat, who decides what survives?

• Documentary

In 1937, the Nazi regime launched its war on modernity, branding artists like Picasso, Chagall, Van Gogh, and Matisse as “degenerate”. Their works were banned, destroyed, or mocked in grotesque exhibitions, while Aryan ideals were glorified in state-sponsored shows. Framed by a major new exhibition at the Musée Picasso in Paris, the documentary revisits this ideological assault through rare footage, suppressed artworks, and the voices of curators and survivors. It broadens its scope to music, literature, and architecture, exposing how the Reich targeted all forms of dissenting expression. A timely meditation on repression, resistance, and the enduring fight for creative freedom.

Release date

May 2, 2026

Runtime

1h 40m

Language

English

Director

Simona Risi

Status

Released