How does it come to pass that a Nazi Party flag ? a symbol of murder and hatred ? can lead to protection and life? What compels us to abandon on our beliefs? In the spirit of films about Oskar Schindler and Paul Rusesabagina comes [John Rabe], a chronicle of the efforts of one man to provide a safe haven for thousands of citizens being persecuted in their own homeland. Like the selfless heroes in [Schindler’s List] and [Hotel Rwanda], John Rabe was a moderately successful businessman caught in an ethical dilemma during wartime. As a member of the Nazi Party, dedicated company man and long time Chinese resident, Rabe was forced to re-evaluate each of those issues in a new light after the Japanese assault on the city in 1937 began. With a disparate group of foreign residents, Rabe established a safety zone that eventually saved the lives of almost a quarter million Chinese. The film is rife with seemingly contradictory images that director Florian Gallenberger uses to position Rabe’s humanitarian actions?actions that have gone unrecognized for too long.