Raymond Klibansky: from philosophy to life

This beautifully filmed portrayal of German Jewish philosopher Raymond Klibansky by director Anne-Marie Tougas resulted from a meeting Tougas had with the great philosopher and the profound effect Klibansky had on her during that meeting. Inspired by Klibansky, Tougas has written a script, poetic in tone and atmospheric in mood, which transforms this documentary into a thoughtful and at moments, even sensual, piece of work. Born in 1905, Klibansky has spanned a century of change, of war, oppression, upheaval, peace and liberation. A historian and philosopher, he is also a political activist and a strong believer in humanism and tolerance. Between World War I and II, he moved to Heidelberg, Germany, a vibrant and intellectual city where, as a professor at Heidelberg University, he mixed with the academia, sociologists and other philosophers. With the rise of Hitler and nazism Klibansky went into exile in England where he became Chief Intelligence Officer in the British Secret Service during World War II. In 1946 he finally moved to Montreal where he has continued to promote tolerance and fight for freedom on all fronts. Klibansky discusses his life, analyses his philosophy and its relationship to world events and humanity and provides perhaps a different slant on world history during the 20th century. Included in the documentary are stills, photographs, archival newsreel footage and interviews with Sonja Sutton-Steiniger (Klibansky’s sister), Ethel Groffier (his wife), Georges Leroux (philosopher and friend), Rainer Maria Lepsius (sociologist), Jana Patocka (daughter of philosopher Jan Patocka) among others. Voice and narration by Claudio Besso in English with some interviews in French with English subtitles.