JAKOB THE LIAR (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition Blu-ray - Pre-order 16 February 2026

One of the most powerful Holocaust films ever made

Eureka Entertainment to release JAKOB THE LIAR, Frank Beyer’s Oscar-nominated East German masterpiece of Holocaust cinema. Presented from a new 4K restoration by the DEFA Foundation on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as part of The Masters of Cinema Series. Available from 16 February 2026, this edition is strictly limited to 2,000 copies and comes housed in an O-card slipcase with a collector’s booklet.

Directed for DEFA by Frank Beyer (Trace of Stones) and adapted from the novel of the same name by Jewish author Jurek Becker, Jakob the Liar was the only East German film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. Starring the prolific Czech actor Vlastimil Brodsky (Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea), it follows the members of a Jewish community in German-occupied Poland.

In a Jewish ghetto, Jakob Heym (Brodsky) is ordered to report to a police station by a Nazi watchtower guard, where he overhears a radio broadcast suggesting that the Red Army is closing in on Poland. He tells friends and neighbours that the Germans might be losing the war, but they refuse to believe that he could have survived an encounter with Nazi officials. To make his story plausible, he claims to illegally possess a radio – and soon finds himself spreading false reports that he has supposedly heard on the airwaves, if only to give his community hope in the face of unimaginable horror.

One of the most powerful Holocaust films ever made, Jakob the Liar is also one of the finest films DEFA ever produced – and a significant influence on a cycle of prestigious Holocaust films produced by Hollywood in the 1990s, chiefly Peter Kassovitz’s later adaptation of Becker’s novel starring Robin Williams. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Jakob the Liar from a 4K restoration by the DEFA Foundation.

DETAILS

JAKOB THE LIAR (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition Blu-ray

VLASTIMIL BRODSKY | ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL | ERWIN GESCHONNECK | HENRY HÜBCHEN | BLANCHE KOMMERELL | MANUELA SIMON | MARGIT BARA

Director FRANK BEYER | 1974 | 100 mins

EAST GERMANY / CZECHOSLOVAKIA | WAR / HISTORICAL DRAMA / COMEDY

Language GERMAN | 1.37:1 OAR | Region B | Cert. TBC | 16 FEBRUARY 2026

Blu-ray Cat. No. EKA70614 | Blu-ray Barcode 5060000706147 | Blu-ray Dealer Price £15.65

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

Limited edition of 2,000 copies | Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F | 1080p HD presentation from a 4K restoration of the original camera negative and interpositive by the DEFA Foundation | Original German audio | Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release | Lessons of the Past – new interview with Jewish studies scholar Sue Vice on Holocaust cinema | Jurek and Jakob – new video essay by film and literature scholar Mary Going on Jurek Becker and DEFA’s adaptation of Jakob the Liar | A Diary for Anne Frank (Joachim Hellwig, 1958) – DEFA documentary on the story of Anne Frank | Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Jakob the Liar by Sebastian Heiduschke, author of East German Cinema: DEFA and Film History | * All extras subject to change