JIFF: Syndrome K

The true story of a life-saving disease that didn’t really exist.

In the middle of WWII, during the Nazi occupation of Rome, three courageous Italian doctors saved the lives of many Jews by convincing the Nazis that certain Jewish patients in their hospital — located a stone's throw from the Vatican — were infected with a deadly disease they called Syndrome K. But Syndrome K never existed; it was completely fictitious — making it, ironically, the one disease in human history that actually saved lives.

This poignant documentary features interviews with survivors and descendants of survivors, including the 98-year-old Adriano Ossicini, the last surviving doctor, and Pietro Borromeo, son of the head doctor at the hospital. Deftly weaving expressionistic reenactments, rare interviews, and archival footage, Syndrome K presents a powerful depiction of courage in the face of Nazi horror.

Rating

E

Language

English, Italian (English subtitles)

Cast

Ray Liotta, Vittorio Sacerdoti, Pietro Borromeo, Adriano Ossicini

Director

Stephen Edwards